If residents of Michigan don’t already know, the recreational use of marijuana was legalized a few months ago! While there still some kinks to work out in the law, The Michigan Law Firm, PC’s blog discussed these new Michigan recreational marijuana laws.

With the interest in marijuana growing every day, many consumers are becoming more curious about what is and isn’t marijuana and the various forms it comes in. These include cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), two natural compounds found in plants for the Cannabis genus. CBD is found in extractions from the hemp plant and is non-intoxicating while THC is the psychoactive compound that gives users the high sensation.

On December 28, 2018, Public Act 642, which clarifies that CBD oil and other products extracted from hemp fall under the scope of industrial hemp, not marijuana, was passed into law. Rep. Steven Johnson who sponsored the legislation stated, “CBD oil derived from hemp doesn’t get you high...It contains no more than 0.3 percent Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). But the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs decided last summer to start classifying it the same way they do marijuana, which contains 5 to 35 percent THC.”

The Detroit Free Press informs readers that in a few weeks, effective March 28, 2019, CBD oils will be able to be used by Michiganders recreationally and buyers will not require a medical marijuana card! Now that they can buy it, people may be wondering what they can do with CBD. Well, CBD has recently found its way into many products such as pills, creams, oils, edibles, and even drinks. CBD oils are also commonly used by individuals for health benefits and pain relief. According to Medical News Today, “people take or apply CBD to treat a variety of symptoms,” including, reducing inflammation, preventing acne, and as an antidepressant. Ale Mary’s in Royal Oak, Michigan even served a CBD drink on the menu last month.

However, just because CBD doesn’t cause people to get high, doesn’t mean it can’t harm people in other ways. Major health agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have stated that additional CBD testing and research is necessary. CBD might counteract or negatively react to certain medications or some people might just be allergic to it! A study conducted by the National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health (NCBI) published a study detailing the side effects of CBD oils. Some of these side effects include tiredness, diarrhea, and changes in appetite, and weight. Another study published by NCBI states that, “Without independent testing (e.g. USP certification) of CBD products for content and purity, as well as bioavailability testing of specific products, uncertainty surrounds the use of available CBD products in routine clinical settings.”

So, people should talk to their doctor or do some research before ordering that CBD drink on the bar menu or buying the CBD lotion on display at Sephora!

Many know the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That’s not the case in the 21st century. With the rise of technology came social media platforms where young teens, and even adults propel words at victims to cause them pain just as powerful as a punch to the stomach can. “You’re stupid,” “you’re dumb,” “get a life loser!” “UGLY!” are just a few tame examples of how hurtful a cyberbully can be in the comments section of many YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook posts.

Some people may be wondering what the differences are between traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Cyberbullying occurs when insults are directed at a victim through a virtual screen. As defined by stopbullying.gov, cyberbullying is, “bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.” Traditional bullying involves face to face insults and physical harm. Stopbullying.com further breaks down the differences between cyberbullying and traditional bullying.

Differences Between

Cyberbullying and Traditional Bullying

Anonymity: While victims usually know who their bully is, online bullies may be able to hide their identities online. The anonymity of the internet can lead to crueler or harsher abuses from the bully, all while the victim has no means of discovering who his or her harasser is.

Relentless: Bullying typically ends once the victim is removed from the negative social situation. However, smartphones, laptops, and other devices have made it possible for people to communicate with each other at all hours and from nearly any location. Cyberbullies may be able to torment their victim twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week, making it difficult for the victim to escape it by going home or even changing schools.

Public: With traditional bullying, often only people that interact with those involved will know of the abuse. However, when content is posted or shared online, it’s possible that anyone may see it. This opens up the victim to more potential ridicule or pain from strangers. This is compounded by the anonymity afforded by virtual spaces: while bullying in person may be done covertly or out of view to avoid punishment, cyberbullies need not fear being witnessed in the act if their identities are not known.

Permanent: Because online content is impossible to delete entirely, cyberbullying may damage the victim’s, or possibly the bully’s, reputation permanently. Even if the content is removed or deleted from the original site, someone may find it posted elsewhere later. This may negatively impact future employment, college admissions, or relationships for victim and bully alike.

Easy to Overlook: Cyberbullying may be harder for teachers, administrators, and parents to discover, because they may not have access to students’ online activities. They may not be able to overhear or see the abuse taking place. Unless someone comes forward, parents and teachers may never know that bullying is taking place.

The Michigan Law Firm, PC’s blog recently discussed how the effects of cyberbullying lead a young, 13-year-old girl, Zoe Johnson to commit suicide after a classmate tagged her name in a vulgar Facebook post. Unfortunately, while cyberbullying is on the rise, traditional bullying is still here too. On January 25, 2019 a 13-year-old, Michael Martin, took his own life after constant harassment and traditional bullying from kids at his school. Michael was constantly teased about his appearance and was even slammed against a wall in the school lunchroom, as reported by the Lansing State Journal.

Sticks, stones, and even words have major negative effects on the lives of people who are continuously being bullied. Under Michigan’s new cyberbullying law, perpetrators of cyberbullying will face major consequences for carrying out this harmful behavior. Bullying is bullying, whether its face to face or through the internet, and it’s always wrong.

Bullying hurts. Words should not cause such irreparable harm that a person chooses to end their life. Attorneys at The Michigan Law Firm, PC understand the emotional damage that traditional bullying and cyberbullying can have on a person, and happy to help cyberbullying victims find justice under the new cyberbullying law. Call us at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

]]>A DUI Could Cost You A Pot Of Gold This St. Patrick's Day!Joseph MansourFri, 15 Mar 2019 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2019/3/14/a-dui-could-cost-you-a-pot-of-gold-this-st-patricks-day54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5c8a6c2d652dea6a4221e807

Time to break out the “Kiss me I'm Irish” t-shirts, green beer, and your great-grandma Brigid’s secret corned beef recipe! Whether you plan on celebrating St. Patrick’s day by drinking copious amounts of Guinness and shots of Jameson during a pub crawl or by taking the family down to Corktown, everyone should plan how to get home safely, before they start to party.

St. Patrick's Day is one of the deadliest holidays due to the number of drunk drivers on the road. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the St. Patrick's Day holiday period from 2012 to 2016 saw the loss of 269 lives due to drunk driving crashes. “In 2016 alone, 60 people, 39% of all crash fatalities, were killed in drunk driving crashes over the St. Patrick's Day holiday.” Also, on March 18, 2016, the day after St. Patrick’s Day, the NHTSA reported that 69% of crash fatalities nationwide involved a drunk driver.

It’s clear that St. Patrick’s Day is turning into a holiday where most people tend to celebrate who can drink the most and care less about the cultural and religious aspects of it all. These people should take safety precautions before they take part in this year’s festivities. And they don’t need to rely on the luck of the Irish to stay safe, because the NHTSA offers partygoers several tips on how to stay safe this St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Driving Safety Tips

NHTSA encourages everyone to take the following safety precautions:

Designate a sober driver or have an alternate transportation plan before the party begins.

If you don't have a designated driver, you can use NHTSA’s SaferRide app to call a taxi or a friend. The app is available for Android devices on Google Play, and Apple devices on the iTunes store.

Never let a friend drive drunk. Arrange a safe way for them to get home.

Don't ride in a vehicle with an intoxicated driver.

Always buckle up. It's your best defense against drunk drivers.

If you’re hosting a party:

Make sure all your guests designate their sober drivers in advance.

Serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages at the party.

Stop serving alcohol a few hours before the end of the party and keep serving non-alcohol drinks and food.

Take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving after drinking and get them a ride home.

Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served alcohol to ends up in a drunk-driving crash.

Every year, The Michigan State Police (MSP) warn drivers that extra police will be on patrol, looking for impaired and aggressive drivers. Last year on St. Patrick’s Day, the MSP participated in an international traffic safety initiative known as Operation C.A.R.E., which stands for “Crash Awareness and Reduction Efforts.” Michigan State Police director Kriste Kibbey Etue stated, “the department encourages safe driving and won’t tolerate drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs.” The initiative was put in place for police to team up to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries resulting from dangerous driving behaviors during holiday festivities.

So, drunk drivers may have a better chance at finding a four-leaf clover than they do getting away with drunk driving this St. Patrick’s Day! But in the interest of the safety of everyone on the road, and so that no one’s fun gets spoiled, St. Patrick’s Day celebrators should plan their safe passage home before they start to drink.

Since St. Patrick’s Day is one of the drunkest holidays, drunk driving car crashes are very likely to occur. Drunk driving car crashes are completely preventable but unfortunately, they still happen. The car crash lawyers at The Michigan Law Firm, PC help people handle the legal aftermath of drunk driving car crashes so that victims can focus on healing from their accident injuries. Call us at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

Ypsilanti, Michigan car accident? We file lawsuits for those who have been injured in car accidents. See if you are eligible for pain and suffering benefits.

]]>The Parents' Guide To Safe Teen Driving Joseph MansourMon, 11 Mar 2019 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2019/3/5/the-parents-guide-to-safe-teen-driving54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5c7edecc085229c0b8889338For a parent, a teenager finally getting their driver's license can be a double-edged sword. It’s a celebration since parents no longer have to pick up and drop off their teens from their high school sports and club events and they can now make their teens run endless errands on Sunday mornings! On the downside, parents may fall into the eternal pit of worrying about their teens’ safety on the road. After all, according to the Center For Disease and Control (CDC), more than 2,400 teens died due to car crashes, the main cause of these car accidents being driver inexperience, in 2016!

Most teens beg for a car for their Sweet Sixteen, but Michigan parents worry more than other parents around the country because in Michigan, “if an individual is 14 years and 9 months and has successfully completed Segment 1 of an approved driver education program they may be eligible for a Level 1 Learner’s License.” Before parents start panicking that their teen is driving just after graduating from Middle School, parents should make sure that their teen is qualified and ready to drive on their own.

How To Coach Teen Drivers

Model Safe Driving- Teens learn what they observe. Be a good role model and follow the rules of the road.

Practice a lot- Practice as much as possible. You and your teen should be the only people in the vehicle.

Plan your routes ahead of time - While your teen is driving, be able to communicate your intentions clearly before your teen executes any of your requests. For example, "turn right" is a bad request. "Turn right at the next corner" is a better request.

Start simple- Learning to drive can be overwhelming - for your teen and for you. Begin with the basics, such as turning, parking and backing up. When you both feel comfortable, consider progressing to more advanced skills such as merging, changing lanes and parallel parking.

Start sunny- Begin practicing during the day, in good weather. As your teen improves, gradually start driving during different driving conditions, including a variety of times of day, weather and types of roads.

Talk with your teen- Keep the lines of communication open so your teen feels comfortable talking with you. This builds trust and respect.

Take deep breaths- Remember, new drivers need a lot of practice. Making mistakes is part of learning. Remain calm and focused. Teens will show the greatest improvement in the first 1,000 miles to 5,000 miles of driving.

Of course, a few coaching tips won’t cover the wide range of environments and challenges a driver may face while on the road. So, it is very important for parents to monitor their teens’ driving and educate them on how distractions can be dangerous when driving.

Taking a Snapchat video, passing the aux cord, typing in a location on Google maps, texting a friend, or even drinking water or eating while driving, are all actions categorized as distracted driving. According to The National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA), 391,000 drivers were injured by distracted driving in 2016. What is even more terrifying is that, according to the National Safety Council, “cell phone use is now estimated to be involved in 26% of all motor vehicle crashes.”

Nobody, especially not a teen driver, wants to deal with traffic fines for distracted driving because they had to check the notification that popped on their phone. Fines may raise car insurance rates and can even eventually lead to license suspension. And cell phone usage while driving isn’t even legal for some teens, because according to Michigan Secretary of State (SOS), Michigan law prohibits drivers who are Level 1 and Level 2 license holders under the Graduated Driver Licensing program from using a cell phone while driving. “Violations are a civil infraction and fees may be up to $240.” And no teen wants to suffer through the consequence of getting their keys taken away by their parents just before prom!

So, to avoid fines, car accidents, and to give parents peace of mind, parents should ensure that their teens are properly taught how to drive before they let them on the road by themselves. Parents can teach their teens themselves or enroll their teens into driving courses. Parents and their teens should also discuss the dangers of distracted driving as well as the seriousness of car crashes to ensure that teens understand what can go wrong if they neglect to drive with caution and full attention on the road.

While parents may face the same car accident risks and obstacles each time they get behind the wheel, they have the experience to handle road dangers that many teen drivers do not. A teen driving car crash can cause serious damage to vehicles, to the teen drivers, and to others on the road. However, The Michigan Law Firm, PC understands that teen drivers aren’t always at fault in their first car accident. Our accident attorneys handle all types of motor vehicle accident cases. Call us at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

On February 12, 2019 a Michigan State Police trooper was hit not once, but twice while stopped on southbound I-75 as he was attending to a disabled vehicle. The officer reported he had his lights on and was stopped in the left and center lanes. The officer was taken to the hospital with neck and back pains, according to a report by MLive.

Accidents like this are why Michigan and several other states have the Move Over Law. The Move Over Law, “requires motorists to slow down and move over for stationary emergency vehicles with their lights activated.” However, the growing trend of stopped emergency vehicles getting hit by an oncoming driver in the next lane has clearly caused many collisions resulting in injuries and fatalities, which may be why Michigan has expanded the Move Over Law.

Expanded Move Over Law

When approaching a stationary emergency vehicle with its emergency lights activated, carefully slow down to at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit and fully move over into an open lane.

If this is not possible due to traffic, weather, or road conditions, slow down to at least 10 mph below the posted speed limit, and pass with caution allowing the emergency vehicle as much space as possible.

Drivers who fail to move over or slow down for stopped emergency vehicles could end up with 2 points on their driver’s license and a fine of $400, according to the new law. Also, “a driver could face felony charges and face up to 15 years in prison and/or a $7,500 fine if the violation causes death to a police officer, firefighter, or other emergency response personnel.”

For the safety of everyone on the road, drivers should move over when they see a stationary emergency vehicle with its lights on. Why pay fines and risk points on a license, when obeying the law is as simple as changing lanes?!

Changing lanes can be a lot like playing a game of chess; drivers must consider all of the pieces, or in this case, other vehicles in play. One missed blind spot or emergency vehicle and it could be checkmate and a car crash can occur. And remember, in the real world, there are no pawns to sacrifice on the road; every piece is a queen. The Michigan Law Firm, PC represents victims who have been injured in serious car crashes. Call us at 844.4MI.Firm for a free legal consultation with a Michigan accident attorney.

Call 844.464.3476. The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC helps those injured in car accidents recover the benefits they are entitled to including pain and suffering compensation. Our accident attorneys are ready to help now!

#ChangeYourMind is a public awareness campaign presented by The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), an organization which, “provides a platform for educating the general public about the incidence of brain injury and the needs of people with brain injuries and their families.”

The Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI) defines a brain injury, such as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as, “a disruption in the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, rotational force, sudden acceleration and deceleration, shock from an explosive blast, or a penetrating head injury.”

A traumatic brain injury is a very serious injury that affects many people. The human brain is the most complex and remarkable organ in the human body and is responsible for all of an individual's actions and drives their senses. A brain injury can affect who an individual is, the way they think, act, and feel. In Michigan alone, 58,500 people will sustain a traumatic brain injury each year, according to BIAMI. In the United States, 153 people die from injuries that include an injury to the brain every day, according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Brain injuries can be very mild and even go undiagnosed, which can lead to permanent damage or possibly even death.

Most people aren’t aware of brain injuries and their common causes. BIAMI mentions that some of the most common causes of TBIs are:

Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Falls

Athletic and recreational activity

Assaults, including domestic abuse and shaken baby syndrome

Motor vehicle and bicycle accidents

Military blast injuries

It’s very well known that car accidents may lead to TBIs, but most people don’t consider bicycle accident TBIs. Bicycle accidents are very common and just as life-threatening as motor vehicle accidents. According to CDC, “in 2010 in the U.S., 800 bicyclists were killed and an estimated 515,000 sustained bicycle-related injuries that required emergency department care.” 26,000 of these bicycle-related injuries resulted in TBIs. The CDC urges bicyclists that practicing helmet safety can play a major role in preventing bicycle related injuries, saying, “any bicyclist who does not wear a bicycle helmet is at increased risk of head injury...a bike helmet can help protect your child or teen from a serious brain or head injury.”

While our hearts can be replaced, there is no such thing as a brain transplant, yet. Coping with and trying to heal from a traumatic brain injury can be one of the most grueling challenges an individual can go through. Since March is brain injury awareness month, people should discuss the seriousness of brain injuries so that everyone can be educated on TBIs and how to prevent them and treat them.

Brain injuries are very common and can be caused in many ways including motor vehicle accidents, falls, and even bicycle accidents. As BIAMI members, the attorneys at The Michigan Law Firm, PC are armed with up-to-date traumatic brain injury knowledge so they can better help car accident TBI victims. If you or someone you know has suffered a TBI due to a car accident, call 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

]]>Winter Driving Safety TipsJoseph MansourFri, 15 Feb 2019 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2019/1/15/winter-driving-safety-tips54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5c3e4f0988251bef228ac3bdFrom sledding down the most prestigious hill in the neighborhood in a dark blue, plastic sled, to skating on the ice rink at Campus Martius in Detroit, winter in Michigan can be the most joyous time of year! However, winter in Michigan isn’t all hot chocolate and toasty fireplaces. Unfortunately, the same snow and freezing cold temperatures that allow Michiganders to have winter fun can also lead to car crashes and serious injuries.

Drivers unlucky enough to have experienced Michigan winters know that winter drives are unpredictable and can make drivers feel like they’re participating in a Winter Olympics event! Visible road conditions in the morning might allow drivers to feel as confident as Bode Miller swishing and swooshing down a freshly groomed mountaintop. But by the drive home, heavy snowfall and terrible road conditions may create so many hurdles, that drivers feel like they not only missed the podium but placed last in the Olympic qualifier event. In fact, driving in the snow is such a gruesome task that over 1,300 people are killed and more than 116,800 people are injured in vehicle crashes on snowy, slushy, or icy pavements annually, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA). So many of these winter weather car accidents are caused by drivers who don’t know how to respond to the treacherous winter weather conditions or how to navigate their vehicles over ice and snow. Since driving in the snow can be a very daunting task, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has published the following winter driving tips:

Winter Driving Tips

Stay Alert

Keep your gas tank close to full, even with a hybrid-electric vehicle. If you get stuck in a traffic jam or in snow, you might need more fuel than you anticipated to get home or to keep warm.

If road conditions are hazardous, avoid driving if possible. Wait until road and weather conditions improve before venturing out in your vehicle.

On longer trips, plan enough time to stop to stretch, get something to eat, return calls or text messages, and change drivers or rest if you feel drowsy.

2. Avoid Risky Driving Behaviors

Do not text or engage in any activities that may distract you while driving.

Obey all posted speed limits, but drive even slower if necessary for weather conditions.

3. Driving in Winter Conditions

Drive slowly. It’s harder to control or stop your vehicle on a slick or snow-covered surface. On the road, increase your following distance enough so that you’ll have plenty of time to stop for vehicles ahead of you.

Know whether your vehicle has an antilock brake system and learn how to use it properly. Antilock brake systems prevent your wheels from locking up during braking. If you have antilock brakes, apply firm, continuous pressure to the brake pedal. If you don’t have antilock brakes, you may need to pump your brakes if you feel your wheels starting to lock up.

4. Navigating Around Snow Plows

The road behind an active snow plow is safer to drive on. If you find yourself behind a snow plow, stay behind it or use caution when passing.

When you are driving behind a snow plow, don’t follow or stop too closely. A snow plow operator’s field-of-vision is limited; if you can't see the mirrors, the driver can't see you. Also, materials used to de-ice the road could hit your vehicle.

Snow plows can throw up a cloud of snow that can reduce your visibility to zero in less time than you can react. Never drive into a snow cloud – it can conceal vehicles or hazards.

What To Do In A Winter Emergency

If you are stopped or stalled in wintry weather, follow these safety rules:

Stay with your car and don’t overexert yourself.

Put bright markers on the antenna or windows and keep the interior dome light turned on.

To avoid asphyxiation from carbon monoxide poisoning, don’t run your car for long periods of time with the windows up or in an enclosed space. If you must run your vehicle, clear the exhaust pipe of any snow and run it only sporadically — just long enough to stay warm.

Folks in Michigan have plenty to do in the winter, like skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, building snowmen, and so much more. Unfortunately, extreme winter weather can also cause many hazards, especially when traveling in snow and ice. While people may cheer on a winter storm for freezing a lake well enough to skate on, they also boo at it for causing pile-ups on the freeway. Since we can’t manipulate Michigan’s weather to be more like Florida’s, Michigan drivers have no choice but to learn how to safely navigate their vehicles in snow, slush, and ice. Hopefully, by following the aforementioned winter driving safety tips, drivers can learn to endure the next snowstorm as Olympic gold medalists and not ER patients!

Winter weather may have it’s up and downs, so it’s important for drivers to stay cautious in order to avoid car crashes. If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident caused by snowy or icy driving conditions, please contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.

]]>Get A Date, Not A DUI, This Valentine's DayJoseph MansourWed, 13 Feb 2019 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2019/2/7/get-a-date-not-a-dui-this-valentines-day54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5c5ceca6e79c700a783acc49Being handcuffed and placed into the backseat of a police car for drunk driving can kill the romance of a Valentine’s Day date in a second.

Picking out the most attractive outfit, spraying the most fragrant perfume, and finding the perfect dozen red roses are, of course, important parts of preparing for the perfect Valentine’s Day date. But the plan that matters most is how to get home safely after drinking a bottle of bubbly or a few Valentine-themed cocktails.

In 2014, a BACtrack report found that, “14 of the 15 biggest drinking days of the year, all of which have an average BAC of 0.08% or higher, fall between December and March.” Of these holidays, Valentine’s Day is the 3rd drunkest holiday! What is even more astonishing is that, “the day after Valentine’s Day had a high of 0.092% BAC.” So, while some people are venturing out to Meijer for 50% off Valentine’s Day candies like heart-shaped Reese’s cups and chocolate covered strawberries, others may be hitting the road after a few glasses of red wine left over from the night before.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2017 there were 10,847 deaths caused by drunk driving, and, “in every State, it’s illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, yet one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 48 minutes in the United States in 2017.” With Valentine’s Day falling on a Thursday this year, many individuals may want to drive home after their night of celebrating so they can wake up early and drive to work the next morning. These potential drunk drivers should know that not only are they putting themselves and others at risk of drunk driving car crashes, but they may also be endangering their driving record. The Michigan State Police (MSP) found that “annually, tens of thousands of drivers are arrested in Michigan for alcohol-related offenses.”

The MSP has a few suggestions on how to avoid drunk driving car crashes. People enjoying Valentine's Day festivities can adapt these tips to their plans to stay safe this tomorrow. After all, the police station drunk tank isn’t the ideal venue for a intimate date and you don’t want to blow your date budget on bail money!

How To Avoid A Valentine’s Day Drunk Driving

Designate a sober driver before drinking alcohol. An Uber driver, particularly an Uber Black driver, is technically a chauffeur right? And chauffeurs instantly make a date feel classier and allow couples to converse in the back seat instead of having to focus on the road.

Call a friend, cab, ride service, walk, or take the bus. Aren’t midnight strolls in the moonlight the height of romanticism? So, picking a restaurant near the house will give couples the chance to pick out constellations on the walk home after dining and drinking.

Stay overnight. Similar to bringing over a sleeping bag to a friend’s house to crash after a rager, one way to safely drink without limitations on Valentine’s Day, is by staying the night at a hotel. Some upscale hotels even have 5-star restaurants located inside, so the only drunk traveling to worry about is walking to the nearest elevator. Take the Shinola Hotel in Downtown Detroit for example. Inside the hotel is the San Morello restaurant, but if you don’t want Italian, there are dozens of other dining options in walking distance!

Of course, the easiest way to avoid drunk driving on Valentine’s Day, is to just not drink! Isn’t the sugar high from the candy hearts, smarties necklaces, and the decadent dessert from dinner enough to keep people hyper?! Drunk driving car crashes can occur just as quickly as it takes Cupid to shoot an arrow. So, stop and smell the roses (bouquet) on Valentine’s Day by having a drink or two, but don’t let drunk driving become a thorn in your side!

Choosing a piece of chocolate from a newly opened, heart-shaped box of Russell Stover’s chocolate may be a difficult task, but choosing a law firm to represent a drunk driving accident victim can be very easy. The Michigan Law Firm, PC helps those who have been injured in car crashes identify and receive any benefits they may be entitled to under Michigan law. Contact us a 844.4MI.Firm for a free legal consultation.

Ypsilanti, Michigan car accident? We file lawsuits for those who have been injured in car accidents. See if you are eligible for pain and suffering benefits.

]]>Medical or Not, Marijuana May Impair Drivers Joseph MansourMon, 11 Feb 2019 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2019/1/25/medical-or-not-marijuana-may-impair-drivers54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5c4bd9a1f950b77130c9c2bcIn Michigan, more than half of medical marijuana users have admitted to having driven under the influence of marijuana within two hours of using it.

This information was found in a study conducted by the University of Michigan Addiction Center and published in the Drug & Alcohol Dependence Journal. Researchers noted that roughly 270,000 people have state approval to use medical marijuana for pain, nausea, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and for other medical reasons in the State of Michigan. 790 medical cannabis users in Michigan were surveyed and it was found that 56% reported driving within two hours of using cannabis and 51% reported driving while, "a little high" and 21% reported driving while, "very high." 1 in 5 individuals even admitted that they have operated a vehicle while being under the influence of marijuana once in the past six months.

Why is driving under the influence of marijuana a bad thing? After all, it’s prescribed by doctors for suffering patients! Well, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), “marijuana dulls the perceptual and cognitive abilities required for safely operating a motor vehicle.” Also, according to the Center for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC), “driving while impaired by any substance, including marijuana, is dangerous. Marijuana, like alcohol, negatively affects a number of skills required for safe driving.”

In July 2018, WWMT Kalamazoo reported that 2 newlywed Michiganders were killed in a car crash when a driver sped through a stop sign and crashed into their vehicle, pushing into another lane, causing them to be struck by a third vehicle. 2 of the 3 occupants of the vehicle involved in the car accident had medical marijuana prescriptions. This doesn’t mean that the at-fault driver was under the influence of marijuana but, “Investigators said the medical marijuana cards found at the scene of the crash complicate their case and the charges the at-fault driver will face.” Allegan County Sheriff Capt. Chris Kuhn, believes investigations can become very puzzling for law enforcement and the establishment of testing procedures or blood levels to suspect the impairment of a driver. “Even with a medical marijuana card, it is illegal to drive with active levels of the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana in your system, but there is no legal limit to say what’s considered, high,” Kuhn said.

No tests currently exist for law enforcement to measure marijuana impairment of drivers, so field sobriety tests have been adapted from their use in detecting alcohol-impaired drivers. Research conducted in the HLDI study suggests however that field sobriety tests designed to assess alcohol-impaired drivers are only moderately successful at detecting impairment from marijuana.. The study also suggests that, “this ineffective enforcement may encourage drivers to engage in driving under the influence of marijuana, because they think they can get away with it.”

While the presence of marijuana initially complicated the investigation of the fatal newlyweds car crash, toxicology reports later uncovered that the at-fault driver had both alcohol and marijuana in his system while operating his vehicle.

Over 50% of Michigan drivers have been driving while under the influence of prescribed medical marijuana, according to the University of Michigan Addiction Center. Although the causal link between marijuana use and car crash risk remains unproven, the consistent pattern of findings in the CDC’s research suggests that car crash rates do increase when drivers use marijuana. Driving in Michigan is dangerous enough with all the potholes and poor road conditions causing car accidents, so adding drugs into the driving mix makes car crashes even more likely to occur. Just as people know they shouldn’t drink and drive, they should know not to smoke and drive, even if they’re using marijuana for medical purposes.

Medical marijuana has been prescribed to over 270,000 individuals in the State of Michigan, and now, as of January 2019, Michigan has become the first state in the Midwest to legalize marijuana for recreational use for individuals 21 and older. While many citizens are overjoyed at this new legislation, the legalization of marijuana may lead to more impaired drivers and more car crashes. The Michigan Law Firm, PC, helps victims who have been injured in a medical marijuana car crashes, and help to identify and receive any compensation they may be entitled to under Michigan law. Contact us at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation regarding your car crash.

]]>Vehicle App Downloads Increase As Temperatures Decrease Joseph MansourFri, 08 Feb 2019 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2019/2/7/vehicle-app-downloads-increase-as-temperatures-decrease54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5c5c6a29652dea319f3d7fc4Grandpa may not understand how to use Facebook but he sure wasn’t going to go out in -50°F windchill to start up his car! The polar vortex brought many troubles, challenges, and delays to Michigan drivers. The bone-chilling wind and subzero temperatures were horrifying enough that even technophobic people downloaded and used mobile connected apps to self start their vehicle engines.

On January 30, 2019, self-starting apps were used more than 59 million times, which is a 70% increase from an average day in January, according to General Motors. These apps include myChevrolet, myBuick, myGMC, and myCadillac.

Santiago Chamorro, GM’s Vice President for Global Connected Customer Experience said, “With access to an app that connects directly to the vehicle, our customers are able remote start their vehicle from anywhere, and avoid spending extra time outside during unpleasant weather conditions."

GM stated that Michigan, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Minnesota were the states with the most users hitting “start” on their phones to warm up their vehicles.

According to USA Today, the GM vehicle self-starting app was introduced 9 years ago and was the auto industry’s first connected mobile app. In addition to starting up their engines, GM owners of Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC vehicles can also check their vehicle's oil life, tire pressure, and fuel level. The app can even help drivers locate the car if it’s ever lost.

Other automotive brands have also jumped at the vehicle app trend. For example, Chrysler vehicles such as Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and FIAT have Uconnect, Toyota has Toyota Owners, and the Ford Motor Company has FordPass. All of these apps allow drivers to start their vehicle engines, check their vehicle's oil life, tire pressure, fuel level, locates the car in a crowded parking lot, and some even allow users to sound the vehicle's horn and flash the headlights. Though connected car apps used to only be a feature in luxury vehicles, like BMW’s BMW Connected Drive, this technology has become widely available for most newer model vehicles regardless of their price tag.

There is nothing like stepping into a toasty car on a frosty morning, and thanks to automakers’ mobile connected apps, many people can start off their morning drive without worrying about their hands freezing and sticking to the steering wheel! However, there are dangers to letting a car warm up. The Michigan Law Firm, PC blog recently informed readers of some bad habits drivers carry out that can hurt their vehicles. One such bad habit is letting the engine idle too long in an effort to warm up the car. According to AutoBlog, “idling for too long causes buildup on the spark plugs, rendering them less efficient. This may be bad news for your wallet, too, as it wastes gas.”

Mobile connected apps have made winter driving a bit more tolerable for Michigan drivers. However, the winter driving dangers of icy roads, vision-impairing snowfall, and other car accident causing winter driving threats still exist. Car accidents may lead to serious injuries and seriously expensive medical bills. Like a snow plow clearing the road, the car accident attorneys at The Michigan Law Firm, PC help clear up the legal process for victims of car crashes. For a free legal consultation with a Michigan accident attorney, call 844.4MI.FIRM.

]]>Caution: Don't Slip Into SpringJoseph MansourWed, 06 Feb 2019 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2019/2/5/caution-dont-slip-into-spring54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5c59f64015fcc08db74f4a60Finally! A glimmer of hope at the end of a polar vortex! Spring is coming early!

On Saturday, February 2, 2019, Americans were crossing their fingers and waiting on bated breath for Punxsutawney Phil to make his annual Groundhog Day prediction. As tradition dictates, if the groundhog sees his shadow and goes back into his burrow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter. But, if he doesn’t see his shadow and stays outside, spring will come early. And if you haven’t already heard, Phil did not see his shadow!

Punxsutawney Phil might just be the best meteorologist in America because Michiganders have been enjoying warm temperatures this week. Monday reached a high of 54 °F, which after the subzero temperatures the day before, made it feel like a heatwave hit Metro Detroit! But just because spring is coming early, doesn’t mean winter is over just yet. There may not be a blizzard on the horizon, but Metro Detroit is experiencing an ice storm. According to The National Weather Service (NWS), “Freezing rain develops as falling snow encounters a layer of warm air deep enough for the snow to completely melt and become rain. As the rain continues to fall, it passes through a thin layer of cold air just above the surface and cools to a temperature below freezing. However, the drops themselves do not freeze, a phenomenon called supercooling (or forming "supercooled drops"). When the supercooled drops strike the frozen ground (power lines, or tree branches), they instantly freeze, forming a thin film of ice, hence freezing rain... Ice storms result from the accumulation of freezing rain.”

The NWS also mentions that, “Ice storms can be the most devastating of winter weather phenomena and are often the cause of automobile accidents, power outages and personal injury.” In 2014, The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that 42,480 work injuries involved ice, sleet, or snow. 2,040 of them were Michigan work injuries. The report also indicates that the injuries resulted from, “falls, slips or trips; overexertion and bodily reaction; transportation incidents; and contact with objects and equipment.”

Icy sidewalks, driveways, and even roads may cause disasters and lead to a higher risk of slips, falls, and even car accidents. Don’t slip into spring; walk and drive slowly.

Slip and falls and car accidents caused by ice may lead to minor injuries such as twisted ankles and scraped knees and to serious injuries like broken bones and even traumatic brain injuries, leaving victims in the hospital for days and out of work for weeks. The Michigan Law Firm, PC provides legal services to those who have been injured in slip and fall accidents and icy car crashes. Call us at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

In November 2015, a Grand Rapids, Michigan man was shot and was bleeding heavily. Instead of calling 911, he called an Uber.

Slow ambulance response times and the astronomical service fees that follow, have many individuals taking matters into their own hands, or phones actually. Individuals in need of emergency care are now picking up their smartphones, opening their favorite ridesharing app, and instead of adding their local bar as their destination, users are requesting to be dropped off at the nearest emergency room. Uber, in particular, has responded to this trend by creating a non-emergency transportation application to help healthcare providers, Uber Health.

Distressed people find themselves waiting long periods of time for an emergency vehicle to arrive. These slow response times have caused life-threatening obstacles for many individuals. In 2013, “the city of Detroit had fewer than 10 working ambulances. A 911 caller with a medical emergency was likely to wait 20 minutes or more for help to arrive,” according to the Altarum Institute. In 2014, Detroit had seen some of its worst response times in decades. In January 2014, the average response time of Detroit's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) was 18 minutes, as mentioned by, The Motor City Muckraker. But, the article also mentions that in 2015, The City of Detroit saw an increase from 12 to 25 EMS vehicles after Mayor Mike Duggan took office, and started an initiative to improve Detroit’s ambulance response time. The article also mentions that the initiative, which began in April 2015, saw response times surpassing the national average, dropping 10 minutes to 8 minutes and 30 seconds.

But even with improved emergency service response times, many individuals are still choosing ridesharing services over calling 9-1-1. Why? Ambulance rides are expensive! A deciding factor in choosing transportation for many individuals is how much it will cost them. People love Uber for the simple reasons that they can arrive at a destination quickly and without breaking their wallets. And when the price of an ambulance ride to the hospital can range from $600 to $1,000, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, it’s no wonder people prefer an Uber! According to the University of Kansas, “the use of Uber in cities across the country has reduced per capita ambulance volume by at least 7%,” likely because patients want to avoid the expensive ambulance ride with paramedics. The study looked at ambulance rates in 766 U.S. cities across 43 states from the time Uber was made available in the area from 2013-2015.

Although taking an Uber to the hospital may be much cheaper and at times faster, it might not be a medically sound decision to rule out an ambulance. A 5-star uber driver may provide bottled water and your choice of music but ambulances come equipped with trained professionals who provide life-saving care! Also, an emergency vehicle can legally impede traffic to race an individual to an emergency room, where ridesharing services cannot.

While Uber does not encourage using their services in place of emergency care, they have recognized the need for more efficient and easy to use transportation in the medical sector, and have introduced Uber Health. According to Uber, “Uber health is a technology solution for healthcare organizations that leverages the ride hailing power of Uber platform... the app allows hospitals and other healthcare professionals to request, manage, and pay for rides for others, at a scale.” Healthcare organizations use Uber Health to allow patients to request or schedule a ride to and from their place or treatment, and for staff to get to and from work, 24/7. Uber Health is currently available in the United States everywhere Uber is already available. According to The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), “services like Uber Health could help patients avoid missing appointments because of lack of affordable transportation.”

But it should be stressed again that Uber Health is not an alternative to calling 911, but rather an aid for healthcare providers to arrange higher quality transportation services for patients. Requesting ridesharing services instead of emergency vehicles because of slow EMS response times or hefty medical bills may put injured victims at a higher risk of not getting proper medical attention.

Calling an Uber to go to the ER for a paper cut is a better idea than calling an ambulance. But, taking an Uber to the ER after experiencing a heart attack may not be the best medical decision. No one likes going to the hospital or dealing with piling medical bills. The personal injury attorneys at The Michigan Law Firm, PC understand the frustration that injured victims feel and help them so they can focus on their recovery. Contact us at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.

Grand Rapids, Michigan car accident? We file lawsuits for those who have been injured in car accidents. See if you are eligible for pain and suffering benefits.

]]> A Play by Play To A Safe Super Bowl PartyJoseph MansourFri, 01 Feb 2019 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2019/1/29/a-play-by-play-to-a-safe-super-bowl-party54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5c50b9bfaa4a995fe8b4246fIs everyone ready to see the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams duke it out this Sunday, during the Super Bowl?! What should go on a Super Bowl Sunday checklist? Chips? Check. Dip? Check. Designated driver? Check!

According to a study conducted by BACtrack, Super Bowl Sunday is the 2nd drunkest American holiday! To many Americans, football is a religion and the Super Bowl is the holiest holiday. And one of the ways to worship during the Super Bowl is by consuming copious amounts of alcohol. Celebrations involve red solo cups filled with alcoholic mixed drinks, bottles of Bud Light wrapped in a lucky koozie, fancy craft brews in snifter glasses, and even carafes of wine. And if you need to calm the fire in your mouth after eating a hot wing, there are jello shots. Plus with drinking games in which everyone takes a shot when there’s a touchdown or when an announcer says a specific word, there is a lot of alcohol being consumed during a Super Bowl party!

Unfortunately, the buzz from the thrill of the Big Game can wear off long before the buzz of the alcohol. After all, the game is on Sunday evening and people have to work the next day. And especially if your favorite team loses, you may want to get home as soon as possible. But Super Bowl partygoers need to remember that, “drunk driving kills.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports, “In 2016, there were 10,497 fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving drunk drivers.” Since the Super Bowl is the 2nd drunkest holiday of the year, many drunk driving car crashes are likely to occur. In order to prevent drunk driving car accidents, the NHTSA offers drivers a play by play on how to drive safely on Super Bowl Sunday.

How To Avoid Super Bowl Drunk Driving

Known the Rules: It’s illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. When it comes to drinking and driving, law enforcement doesn’t throw a yellow flag; they throw the book at you. You’ll get pulled over, arrested, and prosecuted. Your wallet takes a big hit, too: the average DUI court case cost approximately $10,000.

Play It Safe: Defenses win championships; your best defense is to plan a safe ride. From buses and trains to car services and designated drivers, connect with the option that will get you home safely. NHTSA even has an app for the-SaferRide-which is available for Apple and Android devices and can connect you to a local cab company or with a friend who can come pick you up.

Be a Party MVP: Volunteer to be a designated driver. Let your squad know that you’ll be there for them when the party’s over with a safe, sober ride home. (You can even tweet their names to @NHTSAgov to make them part of the NHTSA’s Wall of Fame. Use the hashtag #designateddriver.)

If You’ve Been Drinking, You’re Benched: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. There’s no place on the road for anyone who has been drinking. If someone tries to drive after drinking, tell them to ride the bench until you help them find a sober ride home. If you’re hosting the party, you’re the head coach. Make the right call: take their keys before they drink and drive.

The Super Bowl will end with one team winning it all, but by not engaging in drunk driving, everyone can win. Sure, a shiny trophy signifying a football season full of hard work and dedication is nice, but drivers should avoid the shiny prize of handcuffs signifying a night of bad drunk driving decisions. People planning to celebrate this year’s Super Bowl should sober up before leaving the party, celebrate at home, find a designated driver, or call an Uber or Lyft. Drunk driving car crashes are 100% avoidable. Drunk driving car accidents ruin the lives of the drunk driver and anyone they injure in a car crash. Drunk driving attorneys at The Michigan Law Firm, PC, seek to help victims injured in drunk driving car crashes identify and collect benefits and compensation they may be entitled to under Michigan law. For a free legal consultation with a Michigan drunk driving lawyer, call 844.4MI.FIRM.

Just as Michiganders started to get their hopes up believing that this year’s winter may be mild, the state was hit with a snow storm yesterday and is expecting subzero temperatures today. Governor Gretchen Whitmer even declared a state of emergency, stating, “Keeping Michiganders safe during this stretch of dangerously cold temperatures is our priority. Such widespread, extreme conditions have not occurred in Michigan for many years and it is imperative that we are proactive with record-low temperatures being predicted by the National Weather Service. Wind chills are predicted as low as 50 degrees below zero in many places, such as metro Detroit which is especially unaccustomed to these temps.”

Since humans can’t hibernate in the winter, it’s important for people to know how to drive in snowy, icy, and freezing temperature so that they can get to work, the grocery store, the hospital, Zumba, or wherever else they have to go. The Michigan Law Firm, PC blog shared a vehicle safety to-do list from The National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) that informs drivers of vehicle maintenance they should peform before heading out on winter roads. However, just as it’s important to know what to do, it’s also important to know what not to do when it comes to winter vehicle safety. Weather.com has collected some advice for drivers regarding some winter vehicle maintenance mistakes that can hurt a car rather than help it.

9 Bad Winter Habits That Could Ruin Your Car

1. Forgetting to Change the Windshield Wipers

Changing the windshield wipers is one of the easiest items to forget when it comes to car maintenance. See the streaks your wipers are leaving on the window? Pep Boys says, "the trick is changing your wipers as soon as they don't clear the windshield well." Windshield wipers are vital to your safety on the road; better wipers mean better visibility.

2. Warming the Car for Too Long

Climbing into a freezing car is not fun, so many resort to starting the vehicle and letting it warm up before they leave for the day. This is viable for a couple minutes; however, engines are not designed to idle for long periods of time. According to AutoBlog, idling for too long causes buildup on the spark plugs, rendering them less efficient. This may be bad news for your wallet, too, as it wastes gas.

3. Continuing to Use Summer Tires When Winter Hits

Many who live in cities that rarely see snowfall neglect changing their tires for the appropriate season. Summer tires begin experiencing faulty performance when the temperature falls below 44.6 °F, Giti Tires says. A thin layer of ice on the road can weaken summer tires, leading to poor handling and braking.

4. Forgetting to Check Tire Pressure

Tires tend to be a bigger issue in the winter due to compressed air that cooler weather brings. CarInsuranceQuotes.net notes that the pressure in your tires is reduced by one PSI every 10-degree drop in the temperature. It may be a good idea to keep an emergency maintenance kit in the car and include a portable air pump and pressure gauge.

5. Failing to Protect the Dashboard

It may be cold outside, but the sun is just as intense as it is in the summer. If you park in the sunlight, you may see the color of the dashboard fade, and the material may crack or blister. AutoBlog suggests keeping a cardboard sunshade in the trunk for days when the sun is bright and likely to cause damage.

6. Keeping Up with the Amount of Gas in Your Car

During the winter months, it's better to fill up frequently as a near-empty tank can cause problems. CNN Money reports the moist air in an empty tank can freeze and crystallize, leading to ice in the fuel lines.

7. Pouring a Bucket of Hot Water on the Windshield for Deicing

The temperature difference between the scalding water and your freezing car may crack your windshield. Remember that rock that put a lovely crack in the glass yesterday? The hot water will work its way in there and expand, creating a problem you don't want to see. Instead, go for the old fashioned way: the ice scraper.

8. Slamming on the Brakes and Overcorrecting When You Hit a Patch of Ice

This may put you on the front page of local newspapers after you cause an accident involving several cars. If you slam on your brakes, you're almost guaranteed to spin out of control and into traffic or the guardrail. To avoid a costly accident, stay calm, gently turn the steering wheel in the direction you are sliding and lightly tap the brake.

9. Speeding in Snowy Conditions

Yes, even the most experienced drivers can falter in their winter driving skills. Overconfidence in one's abilities can be detrimental and end up causing a serious crash. Black ice may be lurking beneath that fresh coat of snow, and if you're speeding, it all goes downhill from there. Keep your speed steady and drive below the speed limit when roads are icy or the threat of ice is possible.

Extreme winter weather does a great job of ruining vehicles on its own, without needing help from human error. It’s easier on the wallet to take care of vehicle maintenance before the car inconveniently breaks down or doesn’t start, or before poor vehicle conditions causes a car crash.

Car maintenance bills in the hundreds are easier to stomach than medical and legal bills in the thousands. Many winter car crashes may be avoidable if the right winter vehicle maintenance is performed. But for victims of those winter weather car accidents that occur anyway, the car crash attorneys at The Michigan Law Firm, PC are available to help ease the burden of being involved in a lawsuit. For a free legal consultation with a Michigan car accident lawyer, call 844.4MI.FIRM today.

Call 844.464.3476. The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC helps those injured in car accidents recover the benefits they are entitled to including pain and suffering compensation. Our accident attorneys are ready to help now!

Starring Sandra Bullock, the movie’s antagonist is a supernatural entity that shows people their worst fears and terrorizes them to the point where they kill themselves. To avoid certain and painful death, the characters blindfold themselves as they travel to safety. Fans of Bird Box have started performing various tasks while blindfolded and have been sharing images and videos as #BirdBoxChallenge.

Unfortunately, this dangerous ‘challenge’ has been causing tons of injuries, including a car accident on January 11, 2019. Layton, Utah law enforcement stated that a 17-year-old driver was partaking in the “Bird Box Challenge” when she swerved into an approaching vehicle and crashed into a light pole, according to a local news report.

Bird Box Challenge while driving...predictable result. This happened on Monday as a result of the driver covering her eyes while driving on Layton Parkway. Luckily no injuries. pic.twitter.com/4DvYzrmDA2

“Apparently, as a part of this ‘Bird Box Challenge,’ (the driver) used her beanie to pull over her eyes as she was driving on Layton Parkway, and she ended up losing control of her car and skidded into the westbound lanes of Layton Parkway and hit another car and ended up hitting a light pole as well,” Layton Police Lt. Travis Lyman said.

After the challenge went viral, Netflix urged people to not participate in the challenge, tweeting, “Can’t believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We don’t know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes.”

In 2016, the NHTSA reported that 3,450 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers. Although no car accident injuries occurred in this Bird Box car crash, it must be noted that drivers who take part in distracted driving “challenges” not only put themselves, but also others, at risk of a being involved serious car crashes.

The car accident attorneys at The Michigan Law Firm, PC take care of the legal hassles involved car accident lawsuits so that car crash victims can focus on getting their lives back on track after a serious car accident. Contact us at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation if you have been injured a distracted driving car crash.

On November 8, 2018, Michiganders made some sweeping changes in the Great Lakes state when they went out to the polling stations. Democrat Gretchen Whitmer was elected Governor, hourly minimum wage was increased from $10 in 2019 to $12 in 2022, and legislative district lines will be re-drawn! Also, an awesome number of women were elected to the US Senate, US House, Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan House of Representatives, and for the first time in Michigan history, all of the top Michigan offices of Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General!

Perhaps the most controversial and astonishing result of this election was the victory of Proposal 1, the legalization of marijuana, with a 56% - 44% margin! As such, Michigan became the first state in the Midwest to legalize marijuana. But before people start to search Google Maps for the nearest hydroponic shop or post pictures of themselves lighting up on Facebook or Instagram, they should know that it may be a few years until they can commercially grow or purchase marijuana. While smoking marijuana is now legal, residents likely won’t be able to legally buy recreational marijuana until early 2020.

It should be clarified however, that Michigan legalized medical marijuana in 2008, so the proposal that just passed governs, “the personal possession and use of marijuana by persons 21 years of age or older.” So, what does adult recreational use of marijuana entail? Well, The Detroit Free Press discusses the new Michigan recreational marijuana laws.

Michigan’s Recreational Marijuana Laws

Allow individuals age 21 and older to purchase, possess and use marijuana and marijuana-infused edibles and grow up to 12 marijuana plants for personal consumption.

Impose a 10-ounce limit for marijuana kept at residences and require that amounts over 2.5 ounces be secured in locked containers.

Create a state licensing system for marijuana businesses, including growers, processors, transporters and retailers.

Allow municipalities to ban or restrict marijuana businesses.

Permit commercial sales of marijuana and marijuana-infused edibles through state-licensed retailers, subject to a new 10-percent tax earmarked for schools, road and municipalities where marijuana businesses are located.

The trooper and the driver of the crash he was working on were seated in the patrol car at the time of the crash. Neither was injured. The at fault driver (26 year old male) admitted to recently smoking Marijuana and driving. pic.twitter.com/h8aIFC2bma

While many are celebrating this new legislation, Michigan becoming the 10th state to legalize recreational marijuana may have negative consequences. Marijuana legalization may result in increased crime, abuse of the substance, and even more car accidents. A study conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) found that legal recreational marijuana sales in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon, which have legalized recreational marijuana, were associated with a 6% increase in collision claims compared with 5 neighboring states that did not legalize the drug. According to the study, “marijuana dulls the perceptual and cognitive abilities required for safely operating a motor vehicle.” Also, “results from simulator studies suggest that consuming marijuana increases lane weaving behavior and interferes with drivers’ ability to maintain a constant headway.”

Michigan has already been seeing some marijuana car crashes. On January 20, 2019, a driver under the influence of marijuana crashed into a parked Michigan State Police trooper who was responding to an accident on I-75. According to a local report, the 26-year-old man was arrested for driving under the influence of marijuana and was taken to the hospital for a blood test. The driver admitted to driving under the influence of marijuana and was issued a DWI.

With new laws come new responsibilities. Michigan drivers should know that the legalization of recreational marijuana doesn’t mean they can get high and drive. Most people know better than to drive under the influence of alcohol, so since marijuana is a psychoactive drug, they should know better than to drive under the influence of marijuana. Driving while impaired under the influence of any drug can cause car accidents! In fact, other states that have legalized marijuana have seen an increase in the number of marijuana car accidents, so there may be an increase in Michigan marijuana car accidents soon. And instead of calling a lawyer to get them off of a drug charge, Michigan marijuana smokers may soon be seeking marijuana car crash legal representation.

People typically don’t call attorneys for good reasons. Being hit by a driver under the influence of marijuana, or worse, being the impaired driver who causes a car accident, is a terrible circumstance in which to call a lawyer. The Michigan Law Firm, PC recognizes that calling a lawyer and dealing with a marijuana car accident case can be a tough process. Our attorneys are experienced in dealing with all types of car crash cases and help clients make the legal process as easy as possible. For a free legal consultation with a Michigan marijuana lawyer, call us at 844.4MI.Firm.

]]>Cyberbullying Is Now A Crime In MichiganJosh FreedmanWed, 23 Jan 2019 19:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2019/1/23/cyberbullying-is-now-a-crime-in-michigan54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5c48b12eb8a0454731d6bc41On July 6, 2015, 13-year-old Zoe Johnson committed suicide a day after classmates tagged her name was tagged on a Facebook post reading, “tag a b**h you don’t like.” Zoe had just finished the seventh grade and was a member of the cheer team. According to her mother, Rebecca Abbott, Zoe had been experiencing bullying for many years and therefore suffered from mild depression. Towards the end of the school year, the bullying may have reached an all-time high, leading Zoe to her breaking point, Even after Zoe’s death, kids continued to post on the Facebook page, with one even writing, "good ur gone."

On December 27, 2018, former Governor Rick Snyder signed a bill, sponsored by Rep. Pete Lucido R-Shelby Township, into Michigan law that makes cyberbullying a misdemeanor crime. Going in effect in March 2019, Public Act 457 of 2018 mentions that cyberbullying includes posting a message or statement in a public media forum about any other person if both the following apply:

The message or statement is intended to place a person in fear of bodily harm or death and expresses an intent to commit violence against the person.

The message or statement is posted with the intent to communicate a threat or with knowledge that it will be.

The law defines cyberbullying as a “misdemeanor punishable by 93 days’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $500.” Repeat offenders could face a 1 year sentence, and fines up to $1,000. Individuals involved in a “pattern of harassing or intimidating behavior causing serious injury to the victim” are guilty of a crime punishable up to 5 years and, or a fine up to $5,000. If the online harassment is found to cause death, the violator is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Governor Snyder stated, “Cyberbullying can cause just as much trauma as traditional bullying so it's important that it be considered a crime… With this bill, we are sending a message that bullying of any kind is not tolerated in Michigan.”

Hopefully now that cyberbullying is illegal in Michigan, fewer people will engage in this harmful behavior. They say that the pen is mightier than the sword, but in the case of cyberbullying, the keyboard can hurt people so deeply that they consider suicide as the only option to make the pain stop. The cyberbullies who inflict this pain on innocent victims deserve to be punished by the fullest extent of the law. The Michigan Law Firm, PC can now assist cyberbullying victims with obtaining pain and suffering compensation for cyberbullying in Michigan. Please call us at 844.4MI.FIRM. for a free legal consultation.

]]>Winter Driving Vehicle Safety Check List Joseph MansourMon, 21 Jan 2019 15:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2019/1/18/winter-driving-vehicle-safety-check-list54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5c41f1ce1ae6cf9edf31a78eThe 2004 movie, Dodgeball taught the lesson, “if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.” A similar philosophy can be applied to winter weather driving: If you can service your vehicle, you can handle the snow. Knowing how to drive in the snowy conditions is very important, especially to avoid getting into car accidents. But before even backing out of the driveway and into the blizzard, drivers should diligently check their vehicle to make sure it can weather the storm. The National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) provides drivers with a vehicle safety to-do list before they hit the road.

Check for Recalls

Owners may not always know that their vehicle is under an open recall and needs to be repaired. NHTSA's Recalls Look-up Tool lets you enter a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to quickly learn if your vehicle or one you are looking to purchase has a critical safety issue that has not been repaired. Check for recalls on your vehicle by searching now: nhtsa.gov/recalls. If your vehicle is under a recall, get it fixed at your nearest dealer FOR FREE.

Know Your Car

Every vehicle handles differently; this is particularly true when driving on wet, icy, or snowy roads. Take time now to learn how your vehicle handles under winter weather driving conditions.

Before driving your vehicle, clean snow, ice or dirt from the windows, the forward sensors, headlights, tail lights, backup camera and other sensors around the vehicle.

When your area gets snow, practice driving on snow-covered or icy roads—but not on a main road. Sharpen your winter weather driving skills and know how your vehicle handles in snowy conditions by practicing in an empty parking lot. See your vehicle’s manual to familiarize yourself with the features on your vehicle—such as antilock brakes and electronic stability control—and how the features perform in slippery conditions. For example, your vehicle or pedals may pulsate when controlling traction.

For electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, minimize the drain on the battery. If the vehicle has a thermal heating pack for the battery, plug your vehicle in whenever it’s not in use. Preheat the passenger compartment before you unplug your vehicle in the morning.

When renting a car, become familiar with the vehicle before driving it off the lot. Know the location of the hazard lights switch in case of emergency, and review the owner’s manual so that you’re prepared for any driving situation that may arise.

Stock Your Vehicle

Carry items in your vehicle to handle common winter driving-related tasks, such as cleaning off your windshield, as well as any supplies you might need in an emergency. Keep the following in your vehicle:

Snow shovel, broom, and ice scraper.

Abrasive material such as sand or kitty litter, in case your vehicle gets stuck in the snow.

Jumper cables, flashlight, and warning devices such as flares and emergency markers.

Blankets for protection from the cold.

A cell phone with charger, water, food, and any necessary medicine (for longer trips or when driving in lightly populated areas).

Plan Your Travel and Route

Keep yourself and others safe by planning ahead before you venture out into bad weather.

Check the weather, road conditions, and traffic.

Don’t rush; allow plenty of time to get to your destination safely. Plan to leave early if necessary.

Familiarize yourself with directions and maps before you go, even if you use a GPS system, and let others know your route and anticipated arrival time.

Go Over Your Vehicle Safety Checklist

Battery

When the temperature drops, so does battery power. For gasoline and diesel engines, it takes more battery power to start your vehicle in cold weather. For electric and hybrid electric vehicles, the driving range is reduced when the battery is cold, and battery systems work better after they warm up. Make sure your battery is up to the challenges of winter.

Replace the battery or make necessary system repairs, including simple things like tightening the battery cable connections.

Keep gasoline in a hybrid-electric vehicle, to support the gasoline engine.

Lights

See and be seen! Make sure all the lights on your vehicle are in working order. Check your headlights, brake lights, turn signals, emergency flashers, and interior lights. Towing a trailer? Be sure to also check your trailer brake lights and turn signals. Trailer light connection failure is a common problem and a serious safety hazard.

Cooling System

Make sure the cooling system is in proper working order.

Make sure you have enough coolant in your vehicle and the coolant meets the manufacturer’s specifications. See your vehicle owner’s manual for specific recommendations on coolant.

Thoroughly check the cooling system for leaks or have your mechanic do it for you.

Have the coolant tested for proper mix, proper pH (acidity) and strength of the built-in corrosion inhibitors. Over time, the rust inhibitors in antifreeze break down and become ineffective.

Drain and replace the coolant in your vehicle as recommended by the manufacturer, to remove dirt and rust particles that can clog the cooling system and cause it to fail.

Windshield

You can go through a lot of windshield wiper fluid fairly quickly in a single snowstorm, so be prepared for whatever might come your way.

Completely fill your vehicle’s reservoir before the first snow hits.

Use high-quality “winter” fluid with de-icer and keep extra in your vehicle.

Wipers and Defrosters

Safe winter driving depends on achieving and maintaining the best visibility possible.

Make sure your windshield wipers work; replace worn blades.

Consider installing heavy-duty winter wipers if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow and ice.

Check to see that your front and rear window defrosters work properly.

Floor Mats

Improperly installed floor mats in your vehicle may interfere with the operation of the accelerator or brake pedal, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remove old floor mats before installing new mats; never stack mats.

Use mats that are the correct size and fit for your vehicle.

Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for mat installation. Use available retention clips to secure the mat and prevent it from sliding forward.

Every time the mats are removed for any reason, verify that the driver’s mat is reinstalled correctly.

Tires

If you plan to use snow tires, have them installed in the fall so you are prepared before it snows. Check out nhtsa.gov/tires for tire ratings before buying new ones and look for winter tires with the snowflake symbol.

Regardless of season, inspect your tires at least once a month and before long road trips. It only takes about five minutes. If you find yourself driving under less-than-optimal road conditions this winter, you’ll be glad you took the time. Don’t forget to check your spare tire.

As the outside temperature drops, so does tire inflation pressure. Make sure each tire is filled to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended inflation pressure, which is listed in your owner’s manual and on a placard located on the driver's side door frame. The correct pressure is NOT the number listed on the tire. Be sure to check tires when they are cold, which means the car hasn’t been driven for at least 3 hours.

Look closely at your tread and replace tires that have uneven wear or insufficient tread. Tread should be at least 2/32 of an inch or greater on all tires.

Check the age of each tire. Some vehicle manufacturers recommend that tires be replaced every six years regardless of use, but check your owner’s manual to find out.

Driving in the winter, especially on Michigan roads can be a lot like playing Mario Kart. It can be a thrill to race down Rainbow Road as Mario, but seconds later the kart might hit with a banana peel and spin out landing the player in last place. A driver who neglects safety measures before heading out into winter driving conditions may end up in a real life game of Mario Kart. Therefore, to avoid car crashes, it’s important to go over every winter driving safety rule before getting behind the wheel.

Taking a vehicle to get serviced can be a pain of a process, but failing to do so may lead to larger consequences which no driver wants to endure. Servicing a vehicle before heading out is very important during winter in Michigan and keeps drivers safe on the roads. The personal injury attorneys at The Michigan Law Firm, PC represent individuals who have been injured in serious winter accidents. Contact us at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

Call 844.464.3476. The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC helps those injured in car accidents recover the benefits they are entitled to including pain and suffering compensation. Our accident attorneys are ready to help now!

It’s January 16th, but some days have been unbelievably warm and sunny with 50°F weather. People are still flocking to outdoor ice cream stands like it’s still summer! Unfortunately, it appears as our good luck has faded and as they say on Game of Thrones, “Winter is coming.” Metro Detroit citizens woke up to the surprise of slick, icy roads this morning after getting used to the mild winter that that graced Michigan so far.

Since midnight Second District Troopers have handled approximately 100 crashes on the freeways and the 9 townships we patrol. Our calls for service are through the roof. And one patrol car that was hit by a citizen that was driving too fast! Take it easy people. pic.twitter.com/2StDif6x2S

The Michigan State Police (MSP) responded to nearly 100 car accidents, just today! Not only did they have to provide emergency services for car crash calls, but an MSP patrol car was also involved in a speeding car crash. The MSP tweeted about the crash saying, “We got lucky overnight! A courtesy van, road commission salt truck and a state police patrol car were all hit while trying to keep you safe overnight. Fortunately, we can fix metal. No one was hurt. Please, Move Over!!”

Clearly winter weather is dangerous to drive in. But, since we can’t stay indoors for months at a time, it’s important to learn how to properly navigate vehicles through snow and ice. The MSP even tweeted a winter driving safety tip, “Another quick pointer this morning. Four wheel drive is great in snow and mud. On ice four wheel drive becomes four wheel slide! So pick up drivers and SUV drivers need to slow down this morning.” The MSP also informed readers of, "Some hot spots in the district: I 75 downriver and I94 in Detroit. Multiple crashes in both areas causing temporary closures and lane restrictions."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1,259,000 weather related accidents occurred between 2005 and 2015. Specifically in winter months, the data shows that 17% of crashes occurred during snow or sleet, 13% occurred on icy pavement, and 14% occurred due to snowy or slushy pavement. Therefore, drivers need to be very careful when driving in winter weather conditions. Driving safely in the snow is better than being a passenger in an ambulance.

Takata’s airbag nightmare seems to be never-ending. Readers who follow The Michigan Law Firm, PC blog, are familiar with the now notorious Takata scandal which started on November 18, 2014. After an intensive investigation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that Takata airbags were defective and could explode when deployed during a car accident. More specifically, upon deployment of the airbags, defective inflator and propellant devices may shoot metal fragments into the vehicle occupants they’re supposed to protect. These exploding airbags have caused serious injuries and even deaths. So many recalls were issued due to these faulty airbags, that Takata of Japan saught bankruptcy protection and sold most of its assets to pay for the repairs.

While the scandal erupted in 2014, it is still causing problems in 2019, with Toyota issuing a recall of 1.7 million vehicles in North America on January 9, according to the Detroit Free Press. Toyota is urging the drivers of these recalled vehicles to get their front passenger airbags fixed immediately, to avoid airbag injuries in the event of a car crash. Toyota is scheduled to replace 10 million airbags starting this month. This report comes just after Ford recently recalled nearly 1 million vehicles equipped with faulty Takata airbags, on December 28, 2018.

The Detroit Free Press lists the Toyota and Ford vehicle models included in both recalls.

Toyota Faulty Airbag Recalls

Ford and Lincoln Faulty Airbag Recalls

2010 through 2016 4Runner

2010 Ford Edge

2010 through 2013 Corolla and Matrix

2010 Lincoln MKX

2011 through 2014 Sienna

2010 through 2011 Ford Ranger

2010 through 2012 ES Lexus models including the 350

2010 through 2012 Lincoln MKZ

2010 through 2017 GX 460

2010 through 2011 Mercury Milan

2010 through 2015 IS 250C and 350C

2010 through 2014 Ford Mustang

2010 through 2013 250 and 350

2010 through 2015 Scion XB

2010 through 2014 IS-F

NHTSA’s December 2018 report, Update on the State of the Takata Airbag Recalls, mentions that 15 people have been killed in the U.S. and hundreds have been injured worldwide due to Takata’s faulty airbags. According to the report, “more exposure over more time to high heat and humidity further degrades the Takata inflators phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate compound, making it more porous, more volatile and more prone to transform from a life-saving device to a life-threatening one.” The report also mentions that one-third of the recalled inflators still have not been replaced! Also, as of October 2018, approximately 16.7 million recalled Takata airbag inflators remain unrepaired and close to 10 million more inflators will be added to the recalls in January of this year.

Drivers can enter their vehicle’s VIN number in the Safety Issues and Recalls lookup tool on the NHTSA’s website to find out if their vehicle, “needs to be repaired as part of a recall.” It’s recommended that vehicle owners regularly check to see if there are any recalls out on their cars to avoid any accident injuries that result from not making these repairs.

Drivers of recalled vehicles are encouraged to have their automobiles serviced by certified professionals, in order to prevent more serious injuries and deaths resulting from the Takata airbag scandal. Faulty airbag deaths can occur if defective inflator and propellant devices shoot metal fragments into a vehicle’s occupants upon deflating during a car crash. The defective airbags may also deploy randomly and not just during car accidents if the chemical compound inside deteriorates. Drivers can enroll in NHTSA’s recall notification email system to receive alerts regarding recalls affecting their vehicles. If you or someone you know was injured due to faulty airbags or any other recall defect, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC today at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.

]]>I-696 Ready To Go, But Please Drive SlowJoseph MansourThu, 10 Jan 2019 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2019/1/8/i-696-ready-to-go-but-please-drive-slow54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5c34fc4f6d2a73f34e449887Interstate 696 (I-696) officially reopened on January 6, 2019 for drivers travelling eastbound in Macomb County from I-94 to I-75. Eastbound 696 is also open, with the exception of Hoover Rd. to Eastbound 696, which are expected to reopen Saturday, January 12. This is exciting news! Still not excited? Well, this means many drivers are going back to their scheduled routines, will no longer see “workers ahead” signs, and face less stop and go traffic in the early mornings. Not to mention, drivers will no longer travel in constant fear of dodging potholes! While these new, smooth, wide, open lanes may put on a smile on commuters faces, they may also cause drivers to take advantage of these repairs and speed, which may then lead to traffic violations, monstrous fines, and even car crash fatalities.

Failing to follow the posted speed limit may lead to traffic violations issued by the Michigan State Police (MSP). Driving recklessly, speeding, or even travelling 10 mph or less over the legal speed limit are examples of traffic violations. According to Michigan’s Secretary of State (SOS), “each time you are convicted of a traffic violation, drivers will have to pay certain court fines and costs.” In addition, points may be posted to a driver’s record. Under Michigan's point system, “each traffic violation has a point value, which is set by law in the Michigan Vehicle Code.” Also, “points are placed on someone’s driver record only after they have been convicted or found guilty of or responsible for a civil infraction.”

Points For Speeding Traffic Convictions:

Six Points:

Reckless Driving.

Fleeing or eluding a police officer.

Four Points:

Drag Racing, 16 mph or more over the legal speed limit.

Three Points:

Careless Driving, 11 through 15 mph over the legal speed limit.

Two Points:

10 mph or less over the legal speed limit.

Once convicted of a traffic conviction, points remain on the offender’s driving record for 2 years from the date of the conviction. Racking up points might seem fun in an arcade game but in terms of driving, may lead to suspended licenses.

If traffic convictions such as tickets or license suspension don’t alarm drivers and persuade them to follow posted speed limits, maybe the possibility of a car accident, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, or even death might. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “there were 37,461 traffic fatalities in 2016. Among them, 10,111 (27%) were in crashes where at least one driver was speeding.” Furthermore, the speed of a vehicle at the time of a motor vehicle accident also has an impact on the severity of a car crash and any subsequent injuries. According to a study presented at the University of California Berkeley, “for every 1% increase in speed, a driver’s chance of an accident increases by 2%, the chance of serious injury increases 3%, and the chance of fatality increases by about 4%.” So, while drivers may feel the “need for speed,” it’s imperative to remember that I-696’s posted speed limit is 70 mph. However, it is important to note that according to the Michigan Department of Transportation ( MDOT), semi trucks are not permitted to exceed 65 mph on the freeway. Going faster than these recommended speed limits may cause severe injuries or even death in the event of a speeding car crash.

Newly repaired roads are a treat for Michigan drivers. Aside from their shiny, smooth, aesthetic appeal, new roads mean that drivers no longer have to swerve to dodge potholes and they reach their destinations faster since their drive no longer impeded by roadblocks and machinery taking up some of the lanes. However, drivers shouldn’t take advantage of this new luxury and speed! Even the slightest speed increase may reroute a driver’s life forever if they cause a speeding car crash.

Speeding comes with a price tag, and no one can afford a traffic fatality. Drivers must use caution when travelling on the freeway. Traffic violations can be a pain to deal with, but car accident injuries like herniated discs, broken bones, and TBI’s are far more painful. If you’ve been involved in a car crash caused by a speeding driver, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.

Michigan's recreational marijuana law is expected to take effect by Thursday, Dec. 6, according to state officials.

MLive recently published an article outlining the impact of Proposal 1, the Michigan Regulation adn Taxation of Marihuana Act and its impact on Michigan marijuana law. According to the arcile, Michigan’s recreational marijuana law should take effect on December 6, 2018 according to state officials.

A meeting of the Board of State Canvassers regarding the recent change in Michigan marijuana law is scheduled for today.

As of Dec. 6, adults over the age of 21 can possess and consume marijuana in the privacy of their homes. It remains illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana. The state has one year to develop rules for a commercial marijuana industry in the state, and has to accept the first business license applications in December 2019.

An important point to note regarding the passed proposal for recreational marijuana use in Michigan is that individual cities may opt out of the legalization and these cities can choose to ban marijuana use for recreational purposes.

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory affairs is expected to set forth guidelines to implement the new marijuana laws. This is a quickly developing area of Michigan law, and the legal landscape is still forming.

The Michigan Law Firm, PC is a civil litigation firm located in Birmingham, MI. The firm services clients across the state of Michigan. Contact one of our attorneys at 844,464,3476 for a free consultation today.

]]>What benefits are you entitled to after a Michigan Bird scooter accident?Josh FreedmanMon, 24 Sep 2018 14:19:44 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/9/24/what-benefits-are-you-entitled-to-after-a-michigan-bird-scooter-accident54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5ba8efbdf9619abf1693395dWhile Bird Scooters have been popping up across the country, there isn’t much information available to the public about what benefits someone is entitled to after an bird scooter accident. Scooter laws are still evolving, and the regulations and ordinances may vary by county or by city.

In Michigan, bird scooter accidents generally only come into the “No-Fault” world when there is a collision with a motor vehicle. For example, in order to activate No-Fault benefits such as wage loss, medical bill coverage, household services, attendant care, and medical mileage, a bird scooter rider would have to be involved in a collision with a car. Depending on the particular circumstances of the electric scooter accident, the scooter rider might be entitled to pain and suffering compensation as well if the accident resulted in serious injuries and if it was due to the negligence of the driver of the car.

Because bird scooters are quickly cropping up in Michigan, it’s important for Michiganders to know their rights should they ever become involved in a scooter accident. Someone involved in a scooter accident should contact a Michigan personal injury attorney right away because there can be certain time periods to file your claim by, complex order of priority issues relating to which No-Fault insurance company is supposed to pay for the benefits, and even to maximize your pain and suffering compensation.

The Michigan Law Firm, PC is located in Birmingham, MI and handles personal injury cases across Michigan. Our experienced legal team is ready to help maximize your compensation after a personal injury accident. Give us a call for free anytime at 844.464.3476!

As the Governors Highway Safety Association release a new publication entitled Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State, valuable new info and statistics are now available to analyze about auto accident and pedestrian accident trends.

There was alcohol involved in 46% of auto accidents that resulted in pedestrian deaths. One third of the pedestrian deaths in 2016 involved pedestrians with blood alcohol levels of .08 or higher.

There seems to be a strong connection and trend in pedestrian accidents, that more pedestrians are under the influence when becoming involved in car accidents. PBS just wrote an article further examining the relationship between alcohol and the growing pedestrian accident death rate. According the PBS article:

Being drunk can impact your judgment and reaction time and result in poor decision-making and risky behavior, such as crossing an intersection against the light or cutting across a road mid-block, safety experts say. You may not even be thinking about whether drivers can see you.

And while there are lots of programs designed to reduce drunken driving and improve pedestrian safety, there’s little out there aimed at impaired walkers.

Some of the federal programs that are aimed at solving or countering this trend of pedestrian deaths are:

the data-driven Highway Safety Improvement Program designed to significantly reduce traffic fatalities

While most states are employing targeted law enforcement efforts, campaigns with information for the public, high-risk area educational outreach, data review, and audits, Michigan is focusing on law enforcement training, law enforcement mobilization, educating Michiganders, and working to keep crosswalk areas maintained and safe.

Pedestrians involved in a Michigan motor vehicle accident are generally entitled to No-Fault benefits, which include payment for medical bills, payment for time off of work, reimbursement for assistance with chores, medical mileage reimbursement, and more. Contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC if you or a loved one have experienced a Michigan car crash. Our experienced team is ready to talk to you now, and we offer free consultations.

]]>Getting Out Alive After Being Trapped In A CarJosh FreedmanFri, 14 Sep 2018 13:43:59 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/9/14/getting-out-alive-after-being-trapped-in-a-car54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b9bb2d221c67c95e7125680Auto safety expert Byron Bloch recently provided tips for escaping from being trapped in a car, which may prove helpful for drivers. In addition to providing the Detroit Free Press with important details about car safety and tips for car emergencies, Bloch frequently testifies in courts across the country as an expert witness.

The first key to getting out of a car alive is to arm yourself with knowledge so that you don't panic.

Study the owner's manual to know where any emergency handles for escape are located, said Bloch. Be sure every family member who uses the car knows where they are, he said.

Car entrapment can occur in a number of settings. It may result from an serious auto accident, a popped tire could crash the vehicle, vandalism or crime could be the cause of car entrapment, and even flash flooding could put drivers in this type of emergency situation. Oftentimes people involved in car entrapment situations are suffering from injuries. Things might be foggy if you have a head injury, concussion, TBI, or dizziness after an accident, so it’s always best to be prepared, just in case.

Some of the solutions that car safety expert Byron Block suggests are:

keeping a charged cellphone available

ensuring that the key fob battery is charged every couple of years

having a spare key available for emergency situations

remain calm if you find yourself in an emergency situation

While these are just a few of the options to increase preparedness in a car emergency situation, drivers should always remain cautious and keep an eye on their surroundings. Thanks to the Detroit Free Press for releasing the brief guide on the topic of car entrapment and escaping from a car after begin trapped.

The Michigan Law Firm, PC handles auto accident cases throughout the state of Michigan. Our injury attorneys are ready to help you collect benefits for pain and suffering, lost wages, household services, attendant care, and other types of compensation as well. Contact our experienced legal team today for a free consultation. Speak to a Michigan injury lawyer today!

]]>Mark Your Calendars For The 24th Woodward Dream Cruise!Gabriela PinottiWed, 15 Aug 2018 18:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/8/10/mark-your-calendars-for-the-24th-woodward-dream-cruise54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b6deef270a6ad8db65e7ccaIn Metro Detroit, the beginning of August means it’s almost that time of year again - time to cruise Woodward Avenue! According to The Detroit Free Press, The Woodward Dream Cruise is, “the world’s biggest one-day car event on the nation’s signature cruising highway, M-1.” For the 24th year, the Woodward Dream Cruise will take place on Saturday August 18, 2018 from 9 AM to 9 PM. Each year, over 1 million Michigan residents and car enthusiasts from across the country head to Metro Detroit to check out, “more than 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest vehicles.”

The Dream Cruise takes place across 16 miles of Woodward Avenue from Ferndale to Pontiac, as reported by Crain’s Detroit. While it’s a day to admire and enjoy vehicles of every model, make, and color, navigating around the Dream Cruise can be highly frustrating for visitors as well as local residents, because of the heavy traffic. Finding nearby parking can also be an equally difficult task for the thousands of individuals that choose to enjoy the Dream Cruise on foot or in a lawn chair along Woodward Avenue. Below are some tips courtesy of The Detroit Free Press, to help drivers stay safe and get the most fun out of the Dream Cruise this year!

Guide to the Woodward Dream Cruise

Where to park:

Berkley: Downtown in municipal lots or on side streets adjoining Woodward. No public parking areas near Woodward, no overnight parking.

Huntington Woods: Parking areas on Woodward have been leased by car clubs or reserved for city residents’ activities. No public parking near Woodward.

Pleasant Ridge: On side streets adjoining Woodward but no public parking areas near Woodward. Overnight parking is not permitted.

Pontiac: Downtown and surrounding areas.

Royal Oak: At municipal parking lots in the downtown area and walking distance from Woodward.

For the best way to get there, take roadways roughly parallel to Woodward Avenue — like Coolidge, Southfield, Crooks, Greenfield and I-75. DON'T try to exit I-696 at Woodward and think you'll get anywhere quickly on Woodward.

Take a water bottle. It's always hot out there, and the lines can be long even if you have money to spend.

Wear a hat. What'd we say about the heat? Also apply sunscreen on all family members.

Go early. People always seem to enjoy watching, and cruising, early in the day. Parking, too, is immensely easier at 7 a.m. than three hours later.

Stay totally sober. That is, if you plan to drive and don't want to be arrested. The Dream Cruise is crawling with cops. And that's a good thing -- because the event has never had a serious accident or injury, not since it began as a fundraiser for a children's soccer field in 1995. Police from numerous cities will be up and down Woodward, on foot as well as astride motorcycles and inside patrol cars. If you try to imbibe in public, you'll be asked to "pour it out." No drinking is allowed outside the bounds of the cruise strip's bars and restaurants.

The Woodward Dream Cruise shows off how special cars and car culture are in Michigan, the state that is known for its automotive industry. While it’s a weekend full of celebration, it’s important to keep in mind that cars and alcohol do not mix! Spectators can enjoy the event with alcohol, however they should not attempt to drink outside of the surrounding bars and restaurants, nor should they drive while intoxicated. The risk of car accidents and pedestrian accidents occurring will be high with the volume of attendants expected, so even if staying sober, drivers and pedestrians should take cautionary safety measures.

As August 18th approaches, The Michigan Law Firm, PC wants to encourage motor vehicle safety at all times for both spectators and drivers. While it’s a classic Michigan summer event, The Woodward Dream Cruise attracts over 1,000,000 visitors, and their vehicles, to Metro Detroit each year, creating the potential for serious car crashes and pedestrian accidents to occur. In fact, last year during the Woodward Dream Cruise an 18 year old man driving a 2015 Corvette lost control while drag racing and hit a 1954 Chevy pickup. According to Hometown Life, the couple from Ohio who owned the pickup were not hurt, however they were unable to showcase their truck as they had planned. If drivers use caution during the event, these accidents may be prevented. Thankfully, in 24 years there has never been a serious accident or injury occur during the event, but that doesn’t mean that car accidents won’t happen this year. The Woodward Dream Cruise should continue to be an accident-free day dedicated to admiring the thousands of motor vehicle that drive by, from muscle cars to hot rods, and having a great time with family and friends!

There’s something special about motor vehicles that captivates the attention of Michiganders, as well as other individuals across the country. Whether it’s the freedom that a car provides, the intricate detail of each vehicle design, or the wide variety of makes and models, The Woodward Dream Cruise is a day to commemorate everything amazing about cars! But with so many people wanting to join in on the celebration, the risk of car accidents or pedestrian accidents increases. It’s important for drivers and pedestrians to be aware of the risk of car crashes and to make sure to keep their safety and the safety of other visitors in mind. If you or someone you know has been hit with a car or been in a car accident, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC. Our experienced accident attorneys help car accident victims identify and recover any benefits they may be entitled to under Michigan law. Call us today at 844-844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

]]>New Tech May Prevent Hot Car Child DeathsGabriela PinottiTue, 14 Aug 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/8/10/new-tech-may-prevent-hot-car-child-deaths54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b6df13b4ae2375a77a0e37cOn average, 37 children die every year due to being left in a hot car, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Since 1998, a devastating total of 772 children have died due to vehicular heatstroke. It’s heartbreaking that so many young lives have been lost, and although these fatalities are 100% preventable, the number continues to rise each year. Newsweek reported that as of July 24, there have been 28 hot car deaths reported so far, with an additional 3 child hot car deaths currently under investigation.

It is difficult to imagine that a parent or guardian could forget their child in the car, yet according to San Antonio Express News, this is the case for approximately half of the reported heatstroke incidents. While stories of children being intentionally left in hot vehicles receive a lot of media attention, this type of hot car fatality occurs less frequently. Parents do not always have to be directly involved, because the NHTSA claims that approximately every 3 in 10 heat stroke fatalities take place when children are playing and decide to climb into unattended, unlocked vehicles.

In just a few minutes, the inside of a car can climb up to 125 °F. This is a dangerous temperature for any human, but it is especially dangerous for children because, “a child's body temperatures rise 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s.” For perspective, according to the NHTSA, “a core body temperature of about 107 degrees is lethal.” Temperature increases occur in the first 10 minutes after the ignition is turned off, regardless of whether the windows are rolled down or not. That is why, even if the windows are left cracked, it is never acceptable to leave children alone in vehicle.

In recent years, technology has been developed to help remind parents to check their backseat, with the goal of preventing children from being left in the vehicle. Since over half of the hot car death cases involve caretakers unintentionally forgetting children, increased use of this new technology has the potential to significantly lower the annual fatality rate. San Antonio Express News recently published an article naming three technology-based options parents can take advantage of to protect the safety of their child, which are discussed below.

In early 2018, car-seat company Cybex released “SensorSafe” technology into their Sirona model car seat. The chest buckle of the car seat is connected via bluetooth to the car and the caretaker’s cell phone. When the buckle is closed, a bluetooth connection is activated. Once the vehicle’s ignition is turned off, a series of alerts are sent to the car dashboard and the connected phone. The car buckle must be unclasped in 4 minutes, or else additional alerts will be sent, not only to the parent, but also to emergency contacts listed. Parents can choose to click either “ignore” or “acknowledge” on the notification itself, showing that they were indeed aware that their child was still in the car seat. Once the belt is unclasped, the bluetooth connection is deactivated. While the Sirona car seat retails for $329.99, it uses cutting edge technology that could be extremely helpful to parents who can afford to purchase it.

Waze

Car manufacturers are also aware of the problem surrounding child hot car deaths. In 2017, General Motors added a rear-seat reminder system to over 20 of their models. It’s only standard on 10 Chevrolet models, but it can be selected as an add on feature to others. It simply works by sending the driver an alert to remind them that they opened the rear door of their vehicle after they turn off the ignition. This is a great option for any parent looking to buy a new car, but is not practical for those who are currently content with the vehicle they own. For these parents, they can download an app called Waze. In 2016, the popular navigation app added a “Child Reminder” feature, which when activated, sends the driver a notification to, “check your car before you leave” once the destination is reached. This solution is completely free and only requires that the parent inputs their destination once they enter the vehicle, which they might already have done to receive navigational directions.

Most people have experienced the feeling of discomfort after getting into a car that has been sitting in the sun. Now imagine being a child and being unable to escape the excruciating heat. This is a situation that should never happen. Taking advantage of technology like the Cybex “SensorSafe” car seat or the Waze App “Child Reminder” feature can help prevent the fatalities that result from leaving kids unintentionally in vehicles. However, technology may not be an option for all families. Something all parents can do that is free and simple is to, “look before you lock,” as recommended by the NHTSA. It’s an easy habit that could potentially be life saving. With daily life increasingly revolving around cellphones, it is even suggested that parents put their phones or something important like a briefcase or groceries in the backseat to help remind them to check for their child. Ultimately, parents need to find a effective solution, whether it involves technology or not, that works for them and ensures their child does not become another statistic.

Unfortunately, stories of children and pets left alone in hot cars every time summer rolls around has become all too common. While it’s easy to get distracted in today’s nonstop world, parents need to make the safety of their children their number one priority. No matter how hectic life gets, it is never okay to leave a child or a pet in a hot car. Parents should always check the back seat when they reach their destination, and lock their car after making sure no one is inside. For a free legal consultation with an experienced accident attorney regarding any type of auto accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.

]]>Roadkill Nights 2018 Is Today!Josh FreedmanSat, 11 Aug 2018 16:42:34 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/8/11/roadkill-nights-2018-is-today54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b6f11ff03ce64d11b741c72Each August, people come out in droves to watch unique cars, old and new, parade down Woodward Avenue for the Woodward Dream Cruise. A newer addition to the Metro Detroit tradition, however, is Roadkill Nights - Powered by Dodge, an event that allows drag race fanatics to participate in the sport themselves! While this is the 4th year that the event is taking place, it is only the third year it will be taking place at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan.

Roadkill Nights will be taking place today, August 11, 2018, as a kickoff to the week leading up to the Woodward Dream Cruise! Roadkill Nights will go on all day from 10 AM to 11 PM, with thrill rides, motocross exhibitions, food trucks, and a variety of other family friendly activities. Roadkill Nights gives car fanatics the chance to show off their prized vehicles, and allows attendees to see a variety of rare and uncommon automobiles.

Additionally, Roadkill Nights gives amateur drag racers the chance to race down Woodward Avenue! Drag racers typically go down a ¼ mile track and can even reach speeds up to 300 miles per hour! The drag race qualifying rounds begin at 11 AM and the races will continue through to the end of the event. The stakes are high as throughout the course of the event, a total of $40,000 will be given out in prize money! Amateur drag racers have applied to be part of the races on the Roadkill Nights website. Those who just want to watch the race or show off their cars rather than participate, can purchase a car show entry package on the website, as well.

Tickets for the general public are $10 per person, but Pontiac residents can buy discounted tickets at $5 each online. Children under 12 get in to the event free of charge! Roadkill Nights are a fun way for the general public to enjoy motocross and drag and street racing in a safe, yet thrilling way, while also to kicking off the festivities for this year’s Woodward Dream Cruise.

While Roadkill Nights allows people to zoom down Woodward Avenue, not every car ride should be a high speed drag race. If you or someone you know has been injured by a speeding driver, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM. Our attorneys fight for Michigan’s injured drivers.

]]>Pedestrians - Beware Of Detroit's Deadliest Areas!Gabriela PinottiFri, 20 Jul 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/7/17/pedestrians-beware-of-detroits-deadliest-areas54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b4e7f15f950b79e7d9766fcDetroit is a city full of history and rich culture. Over the years, the Motor City has faced numerous trials and setbacks, but today there is a newfound excitement in Detroit. People are making their way back and investments are being made to revitalize the city. While Detroit is in the midst of a major comeback, some serious problems need to be addressed in order to continue the city’s upward development. One of the issues currently at the forefront is pedestrian safety.

From 2010-1016, Detroit had the, “highest per-capita pedestrian death rate… in the nation for large cities,” according to the Detroit Free Press. The Michigan Law Firm, PC discussed this alarming statistic earlier this month. Of the 139 square miles that make up Detroit, some areas pose a greater threat to pedestrians than others. Specifically, the Detroit Free Press identified three areas that have historically been more dangerous for pedestrians, including Gratiot, the west side of the city near 7 mile, 6 mile, and Greenfield, and Downtown Detroit.

In the Gratiot area, 8 pedestrians lost their lives within the, “half-mile stretch of Gratiot Avenue between Greiner Street and East 7 Mile Road.” Out of the 8 victims, 3 were women and 5 were men. The youngest to die in a pedestrian car crash on Gratiot was 14 years old and the oldest was 82 years old. The 5 men killed were between 21 and 60 years of age.

On the west side of Detroit, a total of 13 pedestrian fatalities took place approximately around, “West 7 Mile Road, Ferguson Street, Florence Street, and Lauder Street.” Over half of the lives lost in this “hot spot” were women. The male and female pedestrian car crash fatality victims were between the ages of 25 and 71.

Not surprisingly, Downtown Detroit has been dangerous for bicyclists in addition to pedestrians. In a period of 8 years, 7 pedestrian fatalities occurred within, “1-square-mile...in the heart of the city on Woodward just north of Campus Martius.” Once again there was a wide age range amongst the pedestrians killed, with the the oldest, and also the only female, pedestrian killed being 90 years old, and the youngest pedestrian killed being a 21 year old male.

In order to understand and prevent future pedestrian car accidents, it’s essential to recognize the similarities that these pedestrian fatalities share. First, alcohol did not a play a role in any of the 28 pedestrian accident fatalities, which means that the very serious problem of drunk driving did not contribute to these Detroit pedestrian deaths. Additionally, 22 out of the 28 pedestrian deaths, or more than 75% of the pedestrian fatalities, took place during nighttime hours when the city was dark. The fact that so many pedestrian car crash deaths happened in the dark leads to the theory that pedestrian fatalities are being caused by low visibility in Detroit streets, and not due to driver negligence by drunk driving or drugged driving. These pedestrian car accidents may have actually been accidents, that the at fault drivers couldn’t prevent. Although Detroit has added 60,000 street lamps over the past few years, it appears that more lighting needs to be installed, particularly at these three deadly Detroit locations, to prevent pedestrian car accidents. Lastly, 18 out of the 28 pedestrian car accident fatalities occurred at a non-intersection location. This means that the existing crosswalks are not helping shield the high pedestrian death rate, and city officials must focus on implementing safer pedestrian infrastructure.

Many Detroiters walk or ride their bikes to get around the city on a daily basis. These pedestrians should be able to get to their destinations safely and conveniently, without having to take risks that could result in a fatal car accident. As Detroit comes back stronger than ever, the city’s residents and tourists need to feel safe. Lowering the pedestrian death rate is one step towards a safer and more prosperous Detroit.

While the pedestrian death rate in Detroit is particularly high, pedestrian accidents can occur anywhere and at anytime. Drivers should remain alert when behind the wheel and actively scan the road for pedestrians, as well as any traffic obstacles. The Michigan Law Firm, PC understands how difficult dealing with pedestrian car accident lawsuits can be without even factoring in the severity of recovering from pedestrian car accidents injuries. Our experienced accident attorneys handle serious injury cases throughout the State of Michigan and can help victims of pedestrian accidents recover any benefits they may be entitled to under Michigan law. For a free legal consultation, call us today at 844.4MI.FIRM.

The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC offers free resources to learn more about Michigan broken, cracked, or otherwise defective sidewalks and treatment for injuries from a sidewalk trip and fall.

]]>Hövding Bicycle Helmet: An Airbag for Your HeadJoseph MansourWed, 18 Jul 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/4/24/hvding-bicycle-helmet-an-airbag-for-your-head54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5adf59aa1ae6cf1c7fa0aff5Helmets may not be the most stylish look when riding a bicycle but they are necessary to help prevent bicycle accident injuries. In cities like Detroit where bicycle transportation, like MoGo, is popular, no one wants to walk into a trendy Detroit restaurant like Takoi, carrying around a bulky, heavy helmet that requires you to give up arm real estate. However, there is now a very cool alternative to the traditional bucket helmet - Hövding, that you can start conversations about over your chickpea tofu!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in a survey done in 2001-2003, only 48% of children between the ages of 5-14 wore helmets while cycling, and older children were less likely to wear helmets than younger children. Similar statistics are likely one of the reasons Sweden passed a law in 2005 that required children under the age of 15 to wear helmets while biking. However, head injuries sustained while cycling are not a problem just for children. In 2010, over 800 bicyclists were killed and approximately 515,000 were injured in a bicycle-related accident, with about 26,000 of them receiving traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Because of how dangerous and frequent bicycle car accidents are, this much safer helmet may help prevent car accident head injuries from occurring.

According to their website, Hövding, also known as the airbag for your head, was created in 2005, the same year the law for children under the age of 15 being required to wear helmets in Sweden passed. The new bicycle safety law for children made people wonder if adults should also have to wear helmets. And so Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, two students of Industrial Design, decided that they wanted to make a helmet that made people want to wear it, whether they needed it or not. Soon after, in 2006, Hövding won the Venture Cup competition, in which young business people get to turn their ideas into an actual business plan. Hövding Sweden AB was founded later that same year, and after another seven years, the airbag helmet idea became an approved and certified product. To date, over 60,000 Hövdings have been sold!

How The Hövding Helmet Works

Hövding has a built in airbag system, sensors and algorithms, activation, charging, and a collar and cover. The airbag is designed like a hood and is made from an ultra-strong fiber that won’t rip. It protects your head while still allowing you to see, and covers more than a typical helmet would. The bicycle helmet also has soft shock absorption components and can absorb multiple blows in the event of a bicycle accident. After the airbag is deployed from a blow to the head, it will deflate. As for the sensors and algorithms, thousands of tests were performed in order to get accurate data on the movements of someone in a bicycle accident, by both crash-test dummies and test riders of Hövding, in order to develop an algorithm that can distinguish between regular bike riding and bike accident conditions.

Hövding requires a charge in order to work. The charge lasts for 9 hours of active cycling and can be done through an USB charger included in the purchase of a Hövding. There are LEDs at the front that show the wearer how full the battery is. The helmet is also waterproof and has an enclosing collar that wearers can change to fit their outfit or mood. The weight is distributed carefully to make sure it doesn’t disrupt cycling, with weight slightly heavier on the front so that the helmet is resting on the wearer’s back while cycling. In order to activate the Hövding, bicyclists must place it around their necks and zip it up all the way, or it won’t work. Then attach the button on the zip tag onto the right side of the collar. To deactivate Hövding, unclip the button. The helmet should only be activated while cycling.

If you want to see Hövding in action during a bicycle car crash or in the event of a bicycle accident head injury, check out this video.

Helmets aren’t very popular to wear for a lot of cyclists and can be bulky and uncomfortable. Perhaps Hövding is the answer to this. Not only is Hövding more fashionable, compact, and comfortable, it is also safer than a conventional helmet and may prevent injuries typical helmets wouldn’t. If you or a loved one have been injured in a bicycle car accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation, with an experienced accident attorney.

]]>Michigan Is The 9th Most Deadly State For Car CrashesShama ParekhMon, 16 Jul 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/7/11/michigan-is-the-9th-most-deadly-state-for-car-crashes54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b4655400e2e72c12c1a889e

A recent article by 24/7 Wall St., an online news site that publishes news articles about finance, technology, and other current events, ranked the 50 states in order of deadliest car crashes. This ranking was determined by looking at the number of car accident deaths in each state during 2016, and then adjusting that for population so the numbers read as fatalities per 100,000 people. In the listing of each state, 24/7 Wall St. also listed the number of car accidents in 2016 prior to the adjustment, the percentage of seatbelt use, the deadliest car accident holiday in each state, and the percentage of the car accidents that occurred in a rural area.

Michigan, despite having about a 95% seatbelt use, had the 9th highest number of fatal car crashes in 2016 at 1,064 deaths! According to the Michigan State Police, in 254 of the car crash deaths, alcohol was involved, in 139 drugs were involved, and in 141, both alcohol and drugs were involved. In 206 of the 1,064 fatal car accidents, the passengers or drivers were not wearing a seat belt. In fact, those not wearing seat belts were 44 times as likely to be killed in a car accident than those who were wearing seat belts. Finally, 52 of the 1,064 fatal car crashes occurred in the snow and 72 occurred in the rain, but a whopping 609 occurred in clear weather! 24/7 Wall St. also stated that rural areas are more dangerous locations for car accidents because they often have higher speed limits and are lined with trees and telephone poles. Proving this correct is the fact that 40% of Michigan’s fatal car accidents occurred on rural roads.

The Michigan State Police reports that 30.6% of fatal car crashes occurred at intersections. They compiled a list of the most dangerous intersections in Michigan based on the number of car crashes that occurred at each intersection in 2016. The most dangerous intersection of the year was Ford Road at Lilley Road, with 85 car crashes, 26 of which lead to car accident injuries. Trailing right behind is 12 Mile Road at Dequindre Road, also with 85 car crashes, and 20 car accident injuries. Another infamous intersection where many metro Detroit car crashes occur is the intersection at 12 Mile Road and Telegraph Road, an area notorious for having a high speed limit, and having heavy rush hour traffic.

Out of the 1,064 car crash fatalities that occurred in Michigan in 2016, it is safe to say that many of them could have been prevented since most of the car crashes occurred in clear weather. In fact more car crash deaths were caused by drugged driving or drunk driving than were the caused by bad weather, and drugged driving and drunk driving are completely preventable actions! It is up to each driver to prevent car accident injuries and car crash fatalities by following safe driving practices in order to lower Michigan’s reputation as a car crash prone state.

Everyone knows someone who has been in a terrible car accident, and as a result, has suffered painful and life altering injuries, not to mention the medical bills that go along with them. There is no excuse for irresponsible and reckless driving practices. If you or a loved one have been injured in a motor vehicle accident due to a negligent driver, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM. Our attorneys fight for Michigan’s injured drivers.

Call 844.464.3476. The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC helps those injured in car accidents recover the benefits they are entitled to including pain and suffering compensation. Our accident attorneys are ready to help now!

]]>Detroit's Dangerously High Pedestrian Death Rate Gabriela PinottiTue, 10 Jul 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/7/6/detroits-dangerously-high-pedestrian-death-rate54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b3fb74e758d466ed23427f1In Detroit, cars are not just a mode of transportation; cars go beyond a hobby, or general interest. Here, they are a way of life. Two of the big three automobile manufacturers have their headquarters in the Motor City, along with many major auto suppliers. Later this summer, thousands of classic and modern cars will be cruising the Woodward Dream Cruise. Simply put, Detroiters love cars!

While motor vehicles are often the center of attention, it’s become clear that the city also needs to pay attention to pedestrians. According to the Detroit Free Press, in the US in 2016 there were nearly 6,000 pedestrian fatalities, 29 of which took place in the City of Detroit. This number may seem insignificant, yet Detroit received the, “highest per-capita pedestrian death rate - 34.5 per 100,000 residents - in the nation for large cities in 2010-2016.”

Pedestrian fatalities in Detroit differed in several ways from pedestrian fatalities that took place in other cities. Between 2009-2016, only 6% of Detroit pedestrians were under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of their deaths, which is 30% lower than the nationwide percentage. Also in Detroit, within the same time period, 80% of pedestrians were struck “after dark,” versus 72% across the US. Similarities do exist between Detroit and the rest of the country in terms of pedestrian fatalities, such as the gender of the individual who lost their life, and the location of the car crash. Males accounted for 73% of pedestrian deaths between 2009-2016, and male or female, the fatalities occurred 77% of the time at non-intersection locations. Nationwide, as well as in Detroit, pedestrians killed were, on average, 49 years old.

The statistics relating to hit and run pedestrian car crashes also are a cause for concern for Detroit. Nationwide, hit and run car crashes made up 18% of all car crashes between 2009-2016. In Detroit, hit and run car accidents were an alarming 46% of of all car accidents, 32% higher than the national average!

In light of these shocking pedestrian car crash fatality statistics, action has been taken to help make the city safer for those traveling by foot. Recently, Woodward Avenue at Jefferson Avenue was closed and a pedestrian plaza was added. Lanes were removed from East Jefferson Ave. to Grosse Pointe Park, and in its place, “bike lanes and pedestrian infrastructure” were added. To help prevent the prominent concern of pedestrian deaths taking place at night, 60,000 street lights were installed. Over the course of the next few years, Detroit will also be fixing approximately 125,000 run-down sidewalks.

Detroiters should note that city officials are mindful of all the pedestrian fatalities occurring in the area. Detroit’s Department of Public Works investigates pedestrian car crashes, and from their analysis, looks into what could prevent pedestrian car accidents from occuring. The Department’s staff also improves crosswalks by adding, “crosswalk signs and inspect[ing] pedestrian crossing signals for proper timing and display.”

The issue of pedestrian deaths is highly complex and has no simple answers. The main dilemma is that most Detroit roads were built with cars in mind, putting pedestrians at a disadvantage. Because of the existing infrastructure, individuals traveling by foot or bike are forced to take road navigation risks, and may attempt to cross a street where it is not safe to do so. The biker or walker may believe they can beat traffic, but the odds of beating a car are not in their favor. It’s clear that even more changes need to be implemented in the city, including at the very least, additional crosswalks and stop lights. When out and about in Detroit, pedestrians should be able to conveniently get where they need go, without having to fear for their lives.

When an automobile accident occurs between a vehicle and a pedestrian, the pedestrian is substantially more vulnerable than the driver. After all, there’s no comparison between one individual and a 4,000 pound car. Detroiters who commonly ride their bikes or walk around the city should locate and use designated crosswalks, as well as be on alert whenever they are in the path of any vehicle. The Michigan Law Firm, PC understands how devastating pedestrian car accidents can be. Our experienced attorneys are here to help car accident victims with their legal burdens so they can focus on taking care of themselves. For a free legal consultation, call us today at 844.4MI.FIRM.

Detroit, Michigan sidewalk injury? We file lawsuits for those who fell and were injured on defective or broken sidewalks. 844.464.3476. Free consultations.

]]>July Is UV Safety Awareness MonthGabriela PinottiMon, 09 Jul 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/7/5/july-is-uv-safety-awareness-month54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b3e7d0c758d460329d67dd2Summer is in full swing in Michigan! That means plenty of sunshine, heat, and lots of time spent outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather. Whether heading to the beach, to a lake, to a picnic, or on a road trip, be careful of the summer sun!

There’s no better time to talk about sun safety, because according to WebMD, July is UV Safety Month! Everyone loves sunshine, but it’s easy to forget that with the sun comes it’s powerful ultraviolet rays. While the danger of spending hours under the sun is well known, less than an hour of sun exposure can still cause harm. In fact, all it takes is 15 minutes for UV rays to damage your skin! This means that sunscreen is essential even for a quick stroll to the corner store. The warning to wear sunscreen is repeated frequently, however it’s not always taken to heart, as fewer than a third of US adults apply sunscreen on a daily basis.

Sunscreen is a beach bag essential, but it’s not necessarily an item that drivers reach for every time they get in the car. Drivers and passengers may feel safe from the sun during their summer road trips, however the side and rear windows of motor vehicles do not offer full protection from UV rays. The driver’s left side is particularly at risk for UV exposure. But fear not! The Skin Cancer Foundation has published some safety tips drivers can follow to enjoy the sunshine while keep their skin protected, when hitting the road.

How To Prevent UV Exposure While Driving

1. Treat Your Vehicle to Window Film

The sun's ultraviolet radiation is associated with most cases of skin cancer, which will affect one in five Americans over a lifetime. UV radiation reaches us in the form of shortwave UVB and long-wave UVA rays, but glass blocks only UVB effectively. Although car windshields are partially treated to filter out UVA, the side windows let in about 63 percent of the sun's UVA radiation; rear windows are also unprotected, leaving back seat passengers exposed. There is, however, a solution. Transparent window film screens out almost 100 percent of UVB and UVA without reducing visibility, and is available in all 50 states. If you have window film installed, remember that it protects you only when the windows are closed.

2. Keep Sunscreen in the Car

A sunscreen should be on hand for quick reapplication during long drives (The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends reapplying every two hours). Look for one with an SPF of 15+ and some combination of the following UVA-blocking ingredients: avobenzone, ecamsule, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide.

3. Skip the Sunroof, Skip the Convertible

Drivers' heads and necks receive the most UV exposure, so it's no surprise that Butler's team found over 82 percent of skin cancers on the patients' heads or necks. A solid, closed roof is your best bet. If you have a sunroof or a convertible top, wear a hat, preferably a wide-brimmed one (3" or greater all around). At the very least, be sure to apply sunscreen to exposed areas of the face, neck, and scalp.

The second most common area for skin cancers was the arm, so, in addition to applying sunscreen, avoid propping your elbow up on the open window while you drive-keep both arms inside the car, and your hands on the wheel. Long-sleeved shirts are also a great sun-protective option.

Keep a hat in the car, along with your sunscreen and UV-blocking sunglasses, and you'll have a sun protection travel kit to see you safely to your destination.

The skin is the body’s largest organ, “covering a total area of approximately 20 square feet!” It plays a fundamental role in keeping the human working properly, therefore it should be given plenty of attention and protection. Although drivers only expose a small portion of their skin while driving, the sun’s powerful UV rays can still cause severe damage. A study from Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (SCF) found that in the US, around 53% of skin cancers developed on the left side of the body. According to Susan T. Butler, MD, a coauthor of the study, "The increase in left-sided skin cancers may be from the UV exposure we get when driving a car."

Sunshine can not only damage a driver’s skin, but it can also impair their vision while on the road, which may lead to car accidents that result in serious injuries. As reported by Business Today, “Extreme brightness and distracting reflections can impair visibility when driving and be the cause of a freak accident.” Sunglasses are an excellent option to help prevent accidents, and the most effective pair will also protect a driver’s eyes from UV-A and UV-B rays. Soon enough, snow will blanket Michigan once again, so enjoy that summer sun, but don’t skimp on the sunscreen and don’t forget to wear sunglasses!

With summer well underway, Michiganders are out on the road in full force, driving to the lake, going on road trips, and even just enjoying the snow-free open roads. With so many cars on the streets, car accidents are very likely to occur. If you or a loved one has been the victim of an automobile accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM, for a free legal consultation with an experienced accident attorney.

]]>How to Drive Safely Through a Railroad CrossingGabriela PinottiThu, 05 Jul 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/6/25/how-to-drive-safely-through-a-railroad-crossing54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b31818b0e2e7283d22b9fd5Detroit can be described in three words, “The Motor City.” Ford Motor Company, one of the big three automobile manufacturers, was founded in Detroit in 1903. Over 100 years later, their commitment to the city remains strong, clearly evidenced by Ford announcing their intention to revive Michigan Central Station. In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, Bill Ford discussed his plans to transform the former train station from a dilapidated building into a thriving new Ford campus. Current plans suggest that in 2022, Detroiters will be able to walk into Michigan Central station and find, “coffee shops, restaurants and shopping” areas. The rest of the 18 ft. building will be dedicated to office spaces, which will be the source of 2,500 jobs for Ford employees!

While it has been idle since its operations were terminated in 1988, Michigan Central Station used to be a bustling train depot, seeing passengers frequently arrive and depart on their journeys. It’s current run-down, graffiti covered walls do not accurately paint a picture of what this building used to mean for the city. In fact, Historic Detroit depicts Michigan Central Station as, “Detroit’s Ellis Island” while it was in operation.

Even though this particular station is no longer in service, trains continue to be an important mode of transportation. According to the Association of American Railroads, freight trains transport 5 million tons of materials and goods across America every day! In addition, companies like Amtrak allow passengers to travel throughout the country by means of rail transport.

Michigan drivers are likely to encounter railroad crossings during their travels throughout the state, or even across the country. Knowledge of how to approach and pass through a crossing may help drivers from getting into train accidents. It's important for car drivers to be alert at train crossings because because train crews do not have the ability to swiftly stop a train. Additionally, trains cannot steer to avoid an accident. Car drivers, on the other hand, can control the distance between their vehicle and the train tracks. Operation Lifesaver provides rail safety education to help drivers and pedestrians carefully navigate railroad crossings. The following are their railroad crossing car safety tips.

Railroad Crossing Safety Tips for Drivers

Trains and cars don't mix. Never race a train to the crossing — even if you tie, you lose.

The train you see is closer and faster-moving than you think. If you see a train approaching, wait for it to go by before you proceed across the tracks.

Be aware that trains cannot stop quickly. Even if the locomotive engineer sees you, a freight train moving at 55 miles per hour can take a mile or more to stop once the emergency brakes are applied. That's 18 football fields!

Never drive around lowered gates — it's illegal and deadly. If you suspect a signal is malfunctioning, call the emergency number posted on or near the crossing signal or your local law enforcement agency.

Do not get trapped on the tracks; proceed through a highway-rail grade crossing only if you are sure you can completely clear the crossing without stopping. Remember, the train is three feet wider than the tracks on both sides.

If your vehicle ever stalls on the tracks, get out and get away from the tracks, even if you do not see a train. Locate the Emergency Notification System sign and call the number provided, telling them about the stalled vehicle. If a train is approaching, run toward the train but away from the tracks at a 45 degree angle. If you run in the same direction a train is traveling, you could be injured by flying debris.

At a multiple track crossing waiting for a train to pass, watch out for a second train on the other tracks, approaching from either direction.

When you need to cross train tracks, go to a designated crossing, look both ways, and cross the tracks quickly, without stopping. Remember it isn't safe to stop closer than 15 feet from a rail.

ALWAYS EXPECT A TRAIN! Freight trains do not follow set schedules.

While Ford Motor Company has not yet revealed any plans to resume rail transport at Michigan Central Station, there are 4,800 public railroad crossings throughout the Great Lakes State. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is responsible for regulating the safety of these crossings. If drivers become aware of any safety concerns, they can contact by clicking the button below.

Staying safe while driving through a railroad crossing is primarily in the hands of the automobile driver. Oftentimes, drivers may find themselves in a rush to reach their destination, justifying the choice to forgo driving safety rules. No matter the situation, when approaching a railroad crossing with the warning signals activated, drivers must stop and wait for the train to pass. It might cause a delay, but waiting for the train to pass instead of speeding over the rails, may prevent a serious automobile accident.

When trains are absent, railroad crossings may not seem dangerous. But it’s possible that a train could pass by in a matter of seconds and demolish anything or anyone in its tracks. Drivers should be alert when near a railroad, and stay at a secure distance until it is safe to cross. For a free legal consultation with an motor vehicle accident attorney regarding railroad crossing car crashes or any type of auto accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.

Although the Fourth of July lands in the middle of the week this year, many Michiganders will take time off to travel to their holiday destinations. In fact, according to Click on Detroit, it’s estimated that 1.5 million Michigan residents will be travelling on Wednesday! Whether staying local, crossing the state, or even crossing the country, drivers must be alert when hitting the road on Independence Day. Not only will there be higher traffic volumes, but alcohol will also be flowing in backyard barbecues and picnics. As a result, drunk driving car accidents are highly likely to occur. In fact, according to the National Highway for Traffic Safety (NHTSA), the 4th of July is, “one of the deadliest holidays of the year due to drunk driving.”

The NHTSA also reported that, 146 people lost their lives due to a negligent drunk driver in 2015. Approximately 97 of those drunk driving car crash fatalities occurred in a car accident where the at fault driver had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 1.5 or higher. That’s “almost twice the legal limit!” When getting behind the wheel while intoxicated, the driver is not only risking their own safety, but also the safety of their passengers, and everyone else trying to enjoy the holiday. Aside from avoiding drinking and driving, listed below are other important driving safety tips drivers should follow, issued by Safety 1st Driving School.

4th of July Travel Safety Tips

Stay in the same place all day if possible. If you’re party-hopping, walk or bicycle.

If you must drive, do NOT drink.

Stay alert and free from distractions at all times, as people, children and animals may be walking around outdoors. That means NO TEXTING, and keep your music low.

If you’re tired, stay put. Nothing’s worth risking your life for.

Avoid the late hours of the night or early morning hours, when people are likely to be driving home and may be drunk or tired.

Observe all speed limits – even slow down a little – and buckle up.

This is a day to be extra alert, patient, and cautious. If you can’t be all three of those, don’t drive.

As stated by NHTSA, “America’s Independence Day is about freedom. But freedom comes with responsibilities.” The Fourth of July should be a day for celebration, not for regret. Remember, it is never okay to drink and drive. Hot dogs and potato salad may mix, but alcohol and automobiles never do! Even if drivers have only had a little bit to drink, according to the NHTSA, buzzed driving IS drunk driving.

For those over the age of 21, drinking is a fun way to commemorate the 4th of July holiday. If you choose to celebrate with a drink, for your safety and the safety of others on the road, put together a travel plan ahead of time. Drivers have many options, including local transit, taxis, and car ride services. For example, rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft make it easier than ever before to get home safe after having a few drinks. If you’re hitting the road this week, safe travels, and have a happy Fourth of July!

With plenty of Michigan drivers travelling this Fourth of July, the chances for an automobile accident to occur are extremely high. Unfortunately, car accidents are not 100% preventable. However, choosing not to drink and drive is a great start to a fun and safe Independence Day. If you have been in an automobile accident and would like a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney, contact the The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM. Our accident attorneys are here to answer any questions you may have regarding benefits you may be entitled to under Michigan law.

Call 844.464.3476. The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC helps those injured in car accidents recover the benefits they are entitled to including pain and suffering compensation. Our accident attorneys are ready to help now!

As Independence Day nears, so does the 3rd Annual Flint Water Festival. This event takes place from 5 PM-9 PM at Riverbank Park in Downtown Flint, Michigan. The Flint Water Festival was created by a nonprofit organization called RICH Kids, Inc., a non-profit group based in Flint that aims to create safe entertainment and education programs for the youth in the Flint area who have felt the detrimental social and health effects of the water crisis. The purpose of the The Flint Water Festival is to raise funds for water and resources to combat the negative health effects of the recent water crisis, as well as create a fun and enjoyable event to lift the spirits of the Flint community. The festival not only raises awareness to local communities about Flint’s lack of clean water, but lack of clean water globally. According to water.org, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people worldwide access clean water, 844 million or 1 in every 9 people, do not have access to clean and safe water.

In addition to giving out free water, the Flint Water Festival has live music, games and prizes, inflatables for children to play on, an interactive art collage that attendees can help create, and free giveaways such as lead reducing tumblers and first aid kits. The night will end with a firework finale over downtown Flint, Michigan.

As Flint continues to struggle for clean water, the Flint Water Festival gives the people of Flint an opportunity to relax and celebrate while bringing awareness to both their community’s and the world’s water crises.

If you are not from Michigan or are unable to make it to the Flint Water Festival, donations can be made on their website or by clicking the button to the right.

The Michigan Law Firm, PC handles all types of motor vehicle accident cases. Our accident attorneys make the legal experience as easy for clients as possible, so that victims of auto accidents can focus on recovering from their car accident injuries instead of fighting with insurance companies. Contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM, for a free, legal consultation.

]]>I-75 Crash Ejects Woman From VehicleGabriela PinottiMon, 02 Jul 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/6/25/i-75-crash-ejects-woman-from-vehicle54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b3166ee1ae6cf2bb6e361a1On Tuesday, June 12, 2018, a 22 year old woman from Melvin, Michigan was ejected from her vehicle after being struck by a vehicle operated by a 23 year old woman from Roseville, Michigan. According to Click on Detroit, the car accident took place near Joslyn Road in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The driver at fault was operating a 2004 Pontiac Bonneville when she collided with a 2003 Chevrolet Blazer, while driving south on I-75. The impact caused both vehicles to roll down an embankment, at which point the 22 year old car crash victim was ejected from her vehicle. She was transported to McLaren Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan and it’s reported that she sustained serious car accident injuries. The other driver involved in the car crash was not harmed. While further details as to the cause of the car crash have not been released, Auburn Hills police are conducting an investigation into the accident.

For many people, the weekday begins and ends with driving on the highway. Whether it’s the commute to work, school, or other destination, “taking the usual route” can easily become too comfortable, and as a result, cause the driver to become less attentive to the road and other drivers. The reduced vigilance, paired with the fast highway speed limits, may result in dangerous car accidents and serious car accident injuries.

It’s important to be alert, and drive safely whether on a crowded highway or an deserted suburban street. However, due to the dangerous nature of the highway, there are a few extra guidelines drivers should follow to ensure their safety, as well as the safety of other drivers. Below are ten safety tips for highway driving, as suggested by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

Highway Driving Safety Tips

1. Merging: If you accelerate quickly to a proper merge speed, you can safely enter the flow of traffic.

4. Passing: Use the right lane for entering and exiting the traffic flow. The left lane on highways is for passing. Do not frustrate other drivers behind you by staying in the left lane if you are not passing.

6. Blending with traffic: Blend your speed with the traffic as much as possible without exceeding the speed limit. If you are uncomfortable driving at higher speeds, find an alternate route.

7. Stopped vehicles: Give pedestrians and stopped vehicles, including police and emergency vehicles, a wide berth for their safety, moving over a lane when possible.

8. Backing up: It is illegal to back up on a highway and you may not cross a median. If you miss an exit or need to go back for some reason, do not back up. Proceed to the next exit and then double back.

9. Emergencies: Do not stop on a highway unless you have an emergency. Pull over as far as you can to the shoulder and be sure to turn on your emergency flashers.

10. Emergency vehicles: Move to the right as far as possible to let an approaching emergency vehicle pass you on the left. Do not come to a complete stop as you would on other roads.

If it’s an option, taking the highway may result in less time spent in the car, as compared to driving only on local roads. While highway driving is an efficient choice for drivers, there is always a chance that a car accident may occur. That's why having knowledge on these extra highway driving guidelines may help prevent car accidents. Following these tips don't guarantee that accident's won't occur, but the AARP’s ten tips are a great safety refresher for all drivers, including beginners and experienced drivers alike.

Although the cause of the crash on Tuesday has not yet been disclosed, it’s a reminder of the danger highway car accidents pose. The AARP’s ten highway driving safety guidelines are simple to follow, and may help drivers stay protected while driving on the highway. If you or someone you know has been the victim of an automobile accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation. Our team of accident attorneys are here to help car accident victims identity and receive any benefits they may be entitled to under Michigan law.

Auburn Hills, Michigan car accident? We file lawsuits for those who have been injured in car accidents. See if you are eligible for pain and suffering benefits.

]]>Safety Tips for 4th of July Fireworks and BBQSGabriela PinottiSun, 01 Jul 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/6/29/safety-tips-for-4th-of-july-fireworks-and-bbqs54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b3690eb88251b7e70646b1dThe Fourth of July is a day commonly spent with family and friends celebrating our nation’s independence. For many Americans, this national holiday is not complete without two key elements: barbecues and fireworks! While these two traditions are heavily ingrained in the American culture, their origins may be unknown to many. According to Reader’s Digest, fireworks have been tied to Independence Day since the very first official independence celebration in Philadelphia. On July 4th, 1777, 13 cannons were set off, representing each of the 13 states of the union, and fireworks glistened in the sky.

The tradition of the backyard BBQ does not span as long, as barbecuing only became prominent in the early 1800’s. Virginian colonists grilled animals over a fire, continuing the practice taken from the West Indies, but it was political leaders who tied grilling to the 4th of July. They held rallies to commemorate the holiday, which attracted a large number of individuals, due to the inclusion of, “massive barbecues featuring whole pigs and oxen.”

Today, nothing says red, white, and blue quite like a fireworks show and hot dogs on the grill. However, a family-friendly backyard BBQ can quickly go from fun to fatal when attention is taken away from the grill. Not only can the open flames harm to kids who get too close, but a fire could erupt, due to leaking propane, and quickly spread. The explosion could cause burns, as well as major property damage. Grill fires sound like a joke, but they are more common than people think.. According to TODAY, there are 7,000 gas grill fires in the US every year! Fireworks also pose a threat if they are not handled with care or if they are misused and can lead to serious firework accident injuries. Children and adults alike have been known to burn themselves trying to light a firework, or have a firework explode in their faces if they don’t back away in time, after lighting one. Since, 4th of July festivities can be just as dangerous as they are fun, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has suggests the ten following safety tips so people can make sure their holiday festivities don’t involve a trip to the emergency room.

4th of July Firework and BBQ Safety Tips

Be sure fireworks are legal in your area before using or buying them.

Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities and never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks. Sparklers alone account for one quarter of emergency room fireworks injuries.

If you set off fireworks, keep a bucket of water handy in case of malfunction or fire.

If fireworks malfunction, don’t relight them! Douse and soak them with water then throw them away.

Never ignite fireworks in a container, especially one that is glass or metal.

Use your grill well away from your home and deck railings, and out from under branches or overhangs.

Open your gas grill before lighting.

Periodically remove grease or fat buildup in trays below your gas or propane grill so it cannot be ignited.

Declare a three-foot "kid and pet-free zone" around the grill to keep them safe.

Avoid loose clothing that can catch fire when cooking on the grill.

In 2016 alone, US hospitals treated approximately 11,100 individuals with firework-related injuries, as reported by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Of those injured, 69% were treated for burns, the most common injury to the body excluding the eye. If the eyes were impacted by fireworks, the damage consisted of, “contusions, lacerations, and foreign bodies in the eyes.” Adults 20 to 24 had the highest rate of firework-related injuries treated in a hospital, followed by children under the age of 5. These statistics are bleak, but they can serve as a powerful reminder that firework accidents should never be underestimated. While it may be a safer option is to leave the fireworks to the professionals and attend a local show instead, many Americans will celebrate this Independence Day in their backyards. For a safe and festive 4th of July, use caution when setting off fireworks, and you won’t have to share your brisket with any firemen who come to the rescue!

Firework shows are spectacular, and an exciting part of Fourth of July celebrations. Even if they are handled by professionals, viewers, and their vehicles must be located far enough away from the fallout zone to avoid firework-related injuries. Designated parking and viewing areas, when available, may provide a safe distance from flying debris. But with the heavy flow of traffic, they may be fully occupied. If a safe viewing area is not an option, try to find a spot as far from where the show will take place as possible, and be on alert of other drivers also trying to find a place to park. If you or someone you know has been injured due to another person’s negligence, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC for a free consultation today at 844.4MI.FIRM. Our Michigan accident attorneys are ready to help!

]]>Happy Michigan Social Media Day!Gabriela PinottiSat, 30 Jun 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/6/29/happy-michigan-social-media-day54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b367ba803ce640c064e3f8fFacebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube - These are just a few of the popular social media platforms being accessed by billions of people worldwide. According to Statista, there were 2.46 billion social media users in 2017, and that number is projected to grow over the course of the next few years. Statista estimates there will be 2.62 billion users this year, and over 3 billion by 2021. It’s clear that social media is here to stay!

Today, June 30th, is Global Social Media Day! It was officially declared a holiday nine years ago by the website Mashable. In 2012, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder joined in on the celebration, and released a proclamation to recognize Social Media Day in Michigan. For each of the following years, excluding 2016, the State of Michigan has commemorated this holiday, and according to Michigan.gov, the trend continues for 2018. Per the Michigan.gov Social Media Policy, “The state of Michigan encourages the use of social media, social networking sites and emerging web tools to enhance transparency, communication, customer service, collaboration and information exchange among the State of Michigan and the public.”

While social media is used 365 days of the year, June 30th specifically recognizes and celebrates the positive impact social media has on user’s daily lives. The wide variety of platforms allow for more communication with friends and loved ones, both in Michigan and all over the world. Additionally, social media accounts give residents the opportunity to easily interact with government officials and departments. If Michigan residents have a question, they may get a timely answer if they ask their question via a platform such as Twitter. For example, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bridget McCormack is active on twitter, and regularly replies to tweets.

The State of Michigan is very active online, with over 450 accounts amassing over 5 million followers! In 2012, the Center for Digital Government awarded Michigan with an “A” rating, based upon, “social media implantation, ROI, innovation, creativity and collaboration,” according to StateTech. One prominent State of Michigan account, The Michigan Supreme Court (@MISupremeCourt), recently tweeted the news of #SMDayMI. Michigan’s highest court is active on several platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. In April, to spread awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, the Michigan Supreme Court sent out a tweet about Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The Michigan Law Firm added to the conversation, and retweeted the Supreme Court’s tweet. Social media allows the Michigan Supreme Court to use their influence to highlight important topics, and help people stay informed.

Social media is not only easy to use and cost effective, but it also provides the latest, up to date information to its followers and the general public. In the case of Michigan’s government departments and agencies, this means Michiganders are informed of everything going in the state, including important information such as laws that are passed, details concerning local events, reminders of the multitude of resources available to residents, as well as closures and construction projects to name a few.

It’s not all serious, however. There is plenty of fun content for followers to enjoy! For example, the Michigan Supreme Court released a tweet two days ago about “Cops and Cones,” an event held recently in Holland Township. The local Sheriff's office treated kids 12 and under with free ice cream! It’s a simple story, but one that spreads positivity and puts a smile on your face!

While social media may have its downfalls, it has undeniably been a powerful tool in the 21st century, leveraged by both the public as well as the government. As stated by Governor Snyder, “The ever-expanding exchange of information allowed by social media is an important factor in our mission to create a more people-focused government.” Social media allows everyone to join in on the conversation and connect like never before. These platforms provide information the public needs to be well informed and create positive change. To celebrate Michigan Social Media Day today, use the hashtag #SMDay and #SMDayMI on your social media platforms!

The warning, “don’t text and drive” cannot be reiterated enough. However, In the age of social media, distracted driving can involve much more than just texting. Popular platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram can be informative and entertaining, but they can also be incredibly distracting when behind the wheel. Distracted drivers put themselves, as well as others on the road, at risk of serious injuries from distracted driving car accidents. Drivers should keep their phones out of sight so their attention can be fully maintained on the road. If you or someone you know has been involved in a distracted driving automobile accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC to speak to an experienced car accident attorney. For a free legal consultation, dial 844.4MI.FIRM.

This June, the National Safety Council (NSC) is celebrating National Safety Month. Each week has a different area of focus, and this week’s goal is to raise awareness on the dangers of driving and to advise on the most effective ways to drive safely. According to the NSC, over 40,000 people were killed in fatal car accidents in 2017 alone! This number is nearly 6% higher than in 2015. It is key that drivers begin to take measures to ensure they are able to come home to their family safely each night.

The first step to becoming a safer driver is eliminating any dangerous driving habits that one might have. According to the Governor's Highway Safety Association (GHSA), in 38% of fatal car accidents, the driver was drunk. While the number of drunk drivers has been slowly but steadily decreasing, the number of drugged driving is on the rise. Of 44% of fatal car crashes, drivers were under the influence of non-alcoholic drugs, the most common drug used being marijuana.

These drunk driving deaths and drugged driving fatalities are a shame since all of these car crash fatalities are avoidable! With technology constantly evolving, there are a few simple ways to get back home safely while under the influence. If someone anticipates a night of drinking, they should try to arrange a designated driver. Public transportation is also always available in metropolitan areas; in Detroit, the Q-line is a safe transportation option for drunk people. If drinking in an area without public transportation or finding a sober friend is difficult, the easiest way to avoid drunk driving is to hail a ride with a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft. A safe and quick ride home is just a push of a button away. Much like driving under the influence, driving while sleepy is another form of impaired driving and can be just as dangerous.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 25 people reported having fallen asleep behind the wheel in the past 30 days! The American Academy of Sleep Medicine discusses a study which shows that about 21% or car accidents from 2009-2103 were caused by drowsy drivers. Drowsy driving accidents can be prevented by getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep regularly, and avoiding drugs or medications that can cause drowsiness prior to driving. As road trip season comes around, it is important to remember to take breaks every 2 hours, or every 100 miles of driving, and if possible, switch drivers. Preventing drowsy driving car crashes is an important way to create a safe driving environment for everyone on the road.

Another common factor in dangerous driving is distracted driving. In today’s fast paced society, it can be tempting to glance down at a phone notification on the drive to work, or send a Snapchat of a funny bumper sticker on a pickup truck, but it only takes a few seconds of distraction to cause a distracted driving car accident. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Association (NHTSA), in the 4 to 5 seconds it takes to read a text message while driving at 55 miles per hour, the car will have traveled the length of a football field. In today’s busy world, people want to consolidate their time as best as possible, and try to be multitasking experts by eating or doing makeup while driving. However, by pulling over to send a text, eating a Big Mac inside the McDonald’s, or waking up a few minutes early to put on lipstick can create a safer commute for all drivers on the road. Distracted and impaired driving is irresponsible, and preventable. It is each driver’s responsibility to create as safe of a commute as possible.

The NSC lists some simple safety tips to follow when deciding to get behind the wheel. The NSC encourages drivers to be aware of how a vehicle’s safety features work, as they can vary from vehicle to vehicle. However, the NSC also states that, “you are your best safety feature” as a reminder not to rely wholly on features such as blind spot alerts, as they can miss things and malfunction. Because of car malfunctions, it is important to take all car system alerts and warnings seriously. Ignoring safety alerts can be dangerous, as it can be difficult for people who are not auto experts to identify car malfunctions. While most warnings are for a loose gas cap or a faulty sensor, a check engine light could mean that the vehicle is in danger of catching fire or has low oil. It’s best to allow a professional to inspect the vehicle as soon as possible after the car displays an alert.

Another safety measure the NSC suggests to keep drivers aware of their surroundings is to clean all snow, ice, and mud off of the car prior to driving it. Cleaning the windshields is not always enough. In winter, driving a car with snow piled on top of it can impair the view of other drivers, when the snow flies off the top of a moving vehicle and onto other vehicles behind it. In addition, braking suddenly can cause snow to slide down from the roof of the car and to the hood, obstructing the driver’s view. Ice across windshields and windows can also severely impact the view of the road around the driver. No matter how short the drive, or how how much of a hurry the driver is in, it is not worth the risk of a car accident to drive in a car with obstructed views.

Since so many car accidents are preventable, the NSC has taken the fourth week of June to teach drivers which habits to avoid and which practices to follow. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving while sleepy, or driving with obstructed views are all unsafe decisions that drivers are choosing to make. The NSC reminds us that each decision a driver makes can affect the lives of everyone on the road around them, making it each individual driver’s responsibility to make the right decision each time they hit the road.

Car accidents may be common, but many of them are preventable. If you or a loved one have been injured in a motor vehicle accident due to a negligent driver, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM. Our attorneys fight for Michigan’s injured drivers.

As June comes to a close, so does Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. The Alzheimer’s Association defines Alzheimer’s as the most common form of dementia that can cause problems with memory, behavior and thinking. While the illness can start off mild, it’s severity can increase overtime, and interfere with daily tasks and life and is typically found in people over the age of 65. And according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of 2013, as many as 5 million Americans were living with Alzheimer's.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s can affect day to day functions such as writing checks, dressing appropriately for the weather, identifying the day's date, and driving. While it is not necessary for someone diagnosed with Alzheimer’s to stop driving when the disease in its earliest stages, it is important to pay close attention to driving behaviors, as the number of driving errors may increase as the illness becomes more severe. The following are some of the warning signs that the Alzheimer’s Association suggests watching for, that indicate that an Alzheimer’s patient should stop driving.

How Alzheimer’s Affects Driving

Forgetting how to locate familiar places, such as the grocery store or a family member’s home

Failing to observe traffic signs

Making slow or poor decisions while driving such as driving at an inappropriate speed

Making errors in basic driving, such as driving at inappropriate speeds, hitting curbs and drifting between lanes, confusing the brake and gas pedals, and forgetting the destination during the drive

A study done by the University of Ottowa in 2016 showed that drivers with Alzheimer’s were less likely to use their brakes appropriately - whether using them too much or not enough, more likely to be in the wrong lane, speed, disobey traffic lights, and more likely to lose control of their vehicle. These errors could lead to potentially fatal car accidents for both passengers and drivers on the road, as well as the Alzheimer’s patients themselves.

Failure to navigate a busy intersection properly or ignoring traffic signs can also lead to car accident injuries and fatalities. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s symptoms increase over time, and as the severity of the illness increases, the patient’s ability to drive safely without getting into car accidents decreases. In addition, as the patient’s ability to think and make decisions deteriorates, they are less likely to be able to react quickly to the scenarios around them, such as not recognizing that the driver in front of them has slammed on their brakes until it is too late.

Having a conversation with a loved one about not driving anymore can be difficult and it is important to approach the matter gently. The Alzheimer’s Association suggests sitting down with those who are close to and taking care of the loved one, and creating a plan for when they should stop driving, discuss alternate methods of transportation and setting up a GPS system in their car. The Alzheimer’s Association also recommends periodic assessments of their driving, as this allows close monitoring of their driving and whether they will be able to continue to drive safely.

When the time comes, the Alzheimer’s Association recommends beginning the conversation by expressing concern, and showing love and support, as this may be a hard transition for them, and explaining to them why they should no longer be driving, and why it is a safety hazard for them, as well as those around them. If they express anger or resistance, the Alzheimer’s Association recommends being firm but understanding and empathetic, explaining that while this is a difficult transition, but is something that must happen. They also suggest, that if necessary, consult their doctor and have them reinforce that it is time for them to turn in their keys. If there is still resistance, it may be necessary to take away their keys or their car entirely. Even though this may be difficult, it is a matter of safety and an effective form of accident prevention.

Arranging alternate forms of transportation does not have to be challenging, however, it will take communication between family members to ensure the loved one can get to where they need to be without too much difficulty. The most basic alternate form of transportation is to have family and friends drive the loved one when possible. They can take turns or shifts, and work around each others’ schedules. Unfortunately, this is not always the most convenient option, and it may be simpler to arrange for a taxi service instead. If there is not a taxi service available, there are transportation options created specially for elderly people; local senior citizens services and homes often provide transportation at low cost or free of charge. If possible, reduce the need for someone with Alzheimer’s to drive, by having groceries, prescriptions and other day to day necessities delivered.

It is important for the family and friends of those living with Alzheimer’s to understand the disease and create a supportive and loving environment to help them with this challenging time. Alzheimer’s Awareness Month aims to create an empathy and awareness around the illness. While many people have heard of the illness, many don’t know the extent of the effects that Alzheimer's can have on day to day life. Since Alzheimer’s is a fairly common disease, it is important for everyone to understand in order to support loved ones fighting the illness.

The Michigan Law Firm, PC handles all types of motor vehicle accident cases. Our accident attorneys make the legal experience as easy for clients as possible, so that victims of auto accidents can focus on recovering from their car accident injuries. Contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM, for a free consultation.

]]>GM Super Cruise: The Future of Hands-Free DrivingGabriela PinottiWed, 27 Jun 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/6/21/gm-super-cruise-the-future-of-hands-free-driving54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b2c66911ae6cfd5a3324839One of the first things we are taught in driver’s education is how to properly hold a steering wheel. However, as technology progresses, our vehicles are increasingly gaining the ability to drive themselves. It seems that the future of driving is hands-free.

As reported by the Detroit Free Press, General Motors made an exciting announcement during the Intelligent Transportation Society’s annual conference in Detroit. GM revealed that their newest hands-free technology, known as the Super Cruise, will be implemented in their entire line of Cadillac vehicles as soon as 2020. Super Cruise is already available in the 2018 Cadillac CT6 Sedan, and after 2020, it will be introduced into other GM models, including GMC and Chevrolet. This innovative feature is described as, “the world’s first true hands-free driving system for the freeway.” It should be noted that “hands-free” driving only applies to simple cruising, and that manual control is necessary when changing lanes and merging or exiting the highway.

According to Cadillac, Super Cruise relies on LiDar mapping, short for Light Detection and Ranging, to allow hands-free driving across 130,000 miles of limited-access freeway stretching the US and Canada. Along with LiDar, GPS informs the system of upcoming curves and hills for the vehicle to adjust accordingly. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), another element of Super Cruise, accelerates the vehicle and actives the brakes when necessary.

Another main component of Super Cruise is the embedded Driver Attention System. While the emphasis is on hands-free driving, that does not mean attention free driving! Cadillac’s exclusive head tracking software certifies that drivers have their eyes on the road. If the system notices a lack of attention, it will send a series of alerts to inform the driver to either pay attention, or re-engage their hands on the steering wheel. Additional cameras and sensors work to maintain the vehicle within the proper lane markings as a part of the Lane Keep Assist feature.

It is important to keep in mind that while this technology is cutting-edge, it has not yet been perfected. There are many limitations that drivers should be aware of to avoid an unintended distracted driving car accident. As mentioned earlier, full attention is required by the driver while using Super Cruise. This means that any handheld devices, particularly cell phones, should be kept out of sight. It can be tempting to rely on this innovative technology to do the driving while the occupants of the vehicle watch TV or text, but in doing so, the distracted driver puts themselves at risk of a car accident injury. A fast reaction time may be vital in preventing a car crash, if a traffic obstacle requires the driver to manually take control of the vehicle.

While important, it is not enough to simply pay attention to the road when Super Cruise is activated. The vehicle must be regularly taken in for scheduled maintenance to ensure that all cameras and sensors are working properly. Additionally, for the technology to work as intended, road lane markings must be able to be detected by the vehicle. Because poor weather conditions may impact detection, Super Cruise is best used in good weather.

As stated by Steve Carlisle, Senior Vice President of GM and President of Cadillac, “Cadillac is proud to be the leader for the company’s [General Motors] innovation.” Super Cruise is an impressive, realistic step towards fully autonomous driving. The ultimate goal of autonomous vehicles is to eliminate human error, making driving safer and easier. But for the time being, the technology necessary to make this goal a reality is still developing. While the concept of Super Cruise is hands-free, the driver’s hands should still be nearby, and their eyes should stay on the road ahead.

No matter which vehicle make you are driving, and no matter if it has Super Cruise or not, the driver's full attention to the road is essential. All it takes is a few seconds for a car accident to occur. If you or someone you know has been involved in a distracted driving car accident, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

844.464.3476. The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC offers free resources to learn more about Michigan car accidents, rules of the road, and treatment for injuries.

]]>Driving Safety TipsJosh FreedmanTue, 26 Jun 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/6/25/driving-safety-tips54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b3124140e2e72c4b64e0efbThe National Safety Council's (NSC) National Safety Month is coming to an end, but the safety topic for Week 4, is still important. In fact, driving may be the danger that should be most discussed, since there were 40,100 motor vehicle deaths in America, in 2017 alone! The NSC warns, "We all believe ourselves to be safe drivers, yet up to 94 percent of motor vehicle crashes involve human error. Follow these tips to help stay safe on the roads."

Driving Safety Tips

Avoid Dangerous Driving BehaviorsPrevent injuries on the road by keeping your focus on the driving task:

• Avoid impaired driving, whether by alcohol, lack of sleep or drugs, including over the counter and prescription medication• Avoid cell phone distracted driving, including hands-free• Practice with your teen drivers and teach them to avoid distraction• Make sure all occupants are properly secured in age-appropriate restraints• Never leave a child alone in a car and always keep your car locked when not in use• If you drive for work, talk with your employer about safe habits – do not take calls while behind the wheel• Regularly check your vehicle for recalls at CheckToProtect.org and stay up to date on the safety features in your car by visiting MyCarDoesWhat.org

Use Safety Features CorrectlyModern cars are filled with safety features that can help protect the driver, passengers and even pedestrians, but they must be used correctly. Look through your vehicle manual to learn which features are available and make use of them to stay safe while behind the wheel.

• Do not rely on safety features to replace you as the driver – you are still your car’s best safety feature• Make sure you understand your vehicle safety features before using them – not all vehicle safety features operate the same way• Maintain your vehicle to keep safety features working correctly, including clearing the vehicle of mud, ice and snow• Pay attention to vehicle alerts and warnings• Educate teens and all inexperienced drivers about the safety features present in the vehicle and how they work

1 step for safety:

Always wear a seat belt. In 2016, 48 percent of vehicle occupants killed on the road were unbelted, according to injuryfacts.nsc.org.

While these tips can't guarantee that car accidents won't happen, they may help prevent some accidents. Many causes of car accidents are due to human error. Actions such as texting while driving, eating while driving, and other forms of distracted driving, cause dangerous car accidents that can lead to serious injury and even death. However, by just not engaging in distracted driving, several motor vehicle accidents may be prevented. Similarly, reading up on car safety features and alerts and warnings helps drivers avoid car accidents, since their car can tell them when something is wrong. Car accidents can happen at any time and for several reasons, but if people take as many safety precautions as possible, car accidents due to human error can be eliminated.

Many car accidents are avoidable, especially if they are distracted driving car crashes. If you've been injured in an auto accident caused by a distracted driver, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC. The Michigan Law Firm, PC helps victims of motor vehicle accidents identify and recover any benefits they may be entitled to under Michigan law. Our team of accident attorneys understands how traumatic being hit by a negligent lawyer can be. We help people injured in car accidents deal with the legal complexities so that they can focus on their recovery. Call us today, at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation, today.

]]>National Safety Month 2018Shama ParekhMon, 25 Jun 2018 18:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/6/25/national-safety-month-201854aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5b3120f52b6a2885b25a5c76The start of June marks the beginning of National Safety Month. Each year, the National Safety Council (NSC) takes a month to emphasize the importance of safe practices in the home, on the roads, in the workplace, and within the community as a whole. Many people don't realize how dangerous some very commonplace practices can be. Simple things like looking at who liked your latest Instagram post when you are driving, not wearing a helmet while riding a bike around the neighborhood, or skipping out on safety glasses when working with heavy machinery, can lead to serious accidents and injuries. It just takes one poor safety decision to dramatically change, or even end a life.

Since, National Safety Month is a month long, each week concentrates on a different safety topic. The first week of National Safety Month focuses on emergency preparedness, to remind people that emergencies can happen anywhere and at anytime. It is important to be prepared for any emergency situation, from an active shooter to a tornado to a heart attack. For example, according to the NSC, approximately 10,000 cardiac arrests occur each year, but only 45% of United States employees are trained in first aid. According to EMS Safety Services, a, “corporation that provides instructor training and support internationally,” 70% of heart attack deaths occur before the victim reaches hospital. Learning first aid can help keep the victim alive until medical professionals are able to treat the patient.

Week 2 of National Safety Month focuses on wellness. Many of our day to day practices, such as lack of physical activity or not getting enough sleep, can put strain on our bodies. Therefore, the NSC reminds people to take a step back from their busy lives and care for their bodies by making healthy choices. For example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, eating an apple instead of potato chips, taking time throughout the workday to stand up and stretch, and getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night are all healthy choices that lead people to being more alert and help avoid accidents.

The third week of National Safety Month alerts people to the dangers of slips and fall accidents, and how to prevent them. The NSC states that over 9 million preventable slip and fall injuries occurred in 2016. That is more slip and fall accidents than the entire population of New Jersey! In the workplace, approximately 800 slip and fall deaths occur, many of which can be prevented by following the correct safety procedures at all times, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly 700 of these workplace accident fatalities occurred when someone fell from a higher level to a lower level. Patrick Kapust, the director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Directorate of Enforcement Program, revealed at a presentation of the Top 10 OSHA violations, that improper fall protection is the most commonly cited safety violation, with 6,887 violations in 2017 alone! This is a shocking statistic considering that slip and fall injuries are the easiest to prevent, by doing simple things such as cleaning up spills and taking precautions when climbing ladders.

Finally, Week 4 of National Safety Month focuses on safe driving practices. Out of the 4,000 workplace fatalities each year, 2,000 are caused by car accidents. Distracted driving is a leading cause of these car accidents. As a result, some companies, such as Cargill and Union Pacific, have created policies banning people from talking on the phone while driving to prevent distracted driving car accidents. However, it is the driver’s responsibility to follow these safety rules and precautions. That’s why National Safety Month takes a week to remind everyone why they should put their phones and other distractions away and focus on the road, and practice safe diving each and every day.

The NSC created National Safety Month in order to decrease the number of preventable deaths that occur each year. Ignoring simple safety precautions may seem like no big deal but it can create an unsafe environment for not only the rule breakers themselves, but for everyone around them. In order to reduce and prevent workplace injuries and deaths, people should take heed of the NSC’s safety instructions. After all, the best way to save lives is to prevent them from being in danger in the first place.

Workplace accidents and injuries are much more common than people realize. It is easy to brush off seemingly inconsequential safety practices, when we are not aware of the dangers of poor safety. To combat workplace injuries, distracted driving car accident fatalities, and other accidents due to unsafe practices, the NSC spends the month of June reminding everyone of the importance of safety at work, at home, and everywhere in between. If you or a loved one have experienced a workplace injury due to unsafe working conditions, please contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM. Our attorneys fight for the rights of Michigan’s injured workers.

The Michigan Supreme Court recently released a tweet about Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which is in April, in order to show their support of this campaign. The dangers of distracted driving are well known, but many people don’t realize the reality of these dangers. Texting and driving, which the Michigan Supreme Court mentioned in the tweet, is a highly publicized distracted driving activity, but isn’t the only one. Any activity which takes a driver’s attention from the road is considered distracted driving and could result in a distracted driving car crash. Logically, people know distracted driving is dangerous, but don’t realize that the dangers of distracted driving apply to them. Unfortunately, that kind of thinking can cause people to not be as careful while driving, and be the cause of a distracted driving car crash.

In one example of how dangerous distracted driving is, The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (MOHSP) recently released a video about Sam Howell, a resident of St. Charles, Michigan, who was an unfortunate victim of a distracted driving car accident back in 2005. In a follow up press release about the video, the MOHSP said that Howell had dropped his cell phone and was trying to pick it up when it rang, when he drove right off the road. Howell suffered severe injuries in his distracted driving car crash and doctors estimated only a 3% chance of surviving at the time. Following the car accident, Howell was was in a coma for more than two months. Howell’s treating medical providers thought he would never wake up again, let alone be able to walk, talk, or eat, much to his parents’ dismay.

“This is not only his nightmare but our nightmare,” Jim Howell, Sam’s father, said when given the news about his son’s chances of survival in 2005. Maureen Howell, Sam’s mother, added, “Nothing on your phone is worth that.”

However, despite his low chance of surviving the distracted driving car crash, Sam woke up from his coma and began his road to recovery. Now, he can walk unassisted and advocates for increased awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, by using his own distracted driving car accident as a cautionary tale. “I remember reaching for my cell phone, which had fallen on the passenger floor and was ringing. I grabbed it, sat up, and was airborne off the road,” he said. He encourages people to not do what he did, and to put cell phones away and out of sight, while driving.

Distracted driving is a topic that should be spoken more about, especially since according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, about 481,000 people use their cell phones while driving. That is why it’s quite progressive that The Michigan Supreme Court, whose youngest member is 49-years-old has chosen to embrace social media like Twitter, to spread awareness about the topic. The Michigan Supreme Court didn’t just tweet about distracted driving during Distracted Driving Awareness Month, but they used images and short text to drive home the point. Sure, even dogs have their own Twitter accounts these days, but having the highest federal court in the United States weigh in on a topic, proves how serious and important distracted driving is.

Distracted driving is a dangerous activity that claimed 40,100 lives in 2017, according to The National Safety Council (NSC). Checking a text, Facebook notification, or talking to your friend about how excited you are about Avengers: Infinity War, are all important things to people living in 2018. But, they are things that should be done when not behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. Distracted driving is 100% preventable! Any car accident injuries or car crash fatalities caused by a distracted driving accident are therefore also 100% preventable!

More important and influential institutions like The Michigan Supreme Court are joining social media in order to keep up with current topics and events. Hopefully, by adding their thoughts to the social media conversation, they will help spread awareness on important subjects like distracted driving and help save lives. If you or someone you know is a victim of a distracted driving car crash, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation. Our attorneys are highly experienced in helping victims of distracted driving car accidents identify and collect any benefits they may be entitled to under Michigan law.

You’re driving home from a long day at work and are starving from that light and unsatisfactory salad you had for lunch. The McDonald’s you just picked up is sitting on the chair beside you, tempting you with it’s tantalizing smell. You can just imagine those french fries, so salty and delicious, and your mouth waters. One fry wouldn’t really be an issue, would it? You reach for a fry, and realize that you can’t just eat the fry by its lonesome. You need that ketchup. So you reach into the bag, glancing between it and the road as you paw around for a packet of ketchup. After finding it, you carefully balance the fry in your hand, tear open the packet of ketchup, and slowly spread it along the french fry. You finally eat it, and your eyes close as you savor the salty treat, your taste buds dancing with delight. You open your eyes again, debating whether to grab another fry or not, when you notice that your car is heading straight into the ditch on the side of the road. You're about to get into a car accident. Oops!

Eating on the go is a common occurrence. People late to work in the morning, people who work late and pick up food on the way home, and people snacking on long drives and road trips, all eat while driving. However, eating while driving is a form of distracted driving that may lead to dangerous distracted driving car crashes.

Distracted driving is anything that distracts people from keeping their full attention on the road when driving. While most people associate distracted driving with texting or making a phone call while driving, eating is also a habit that causes people to take their eyes off the road, and therefore can cause distracted driving car accidents. Many people don’t comprehend how these distracted driving activities, which nearly everyone has done at least once in their lives, could be dangerous, since they overestimate their alertness and think they’ll be safe, “just this once.” It may seem silly, but even something as small as eating a single fry could cause a distracted driving car crash.

In fact, the Auto Alliance Driving Innovation’s public service campaign, which works to eliminate distracted driving, Decide To Drive, states that eating while driving is one of the most common forms of distracted driving. After all, the modern world is full of food designed to eat while driving. Just take a look at Go-Gurt, a cup of yogurt repackaged in an easy to hold and slurp tube, or the entire marketing ploy behind KFC’s Go Cup being that it fits in the cup holder, making it perfect to eat fried chicken while driving. So, why isn’t eating and driving a more pressing issue when discussing distracted driving? According to Decide To Drive, “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that eating and driving increases the likelihood of crashes by 80 percent. Additionally, 65 percent of near-miss crashes are caused by distracted drivers who are eating or drinking while driving.” And since 40,100 distracted driving deaths occurred in 2017, according to The National Safety Council (NSC), it’s safe to assume that a good number of these distracted driving fatalities were due to eating while driving. That is a large number of deaths for something that could have been prevented by paying a little more attention to the road. If waiting to get home to eat those McDonald's french fries is too taxing, people should consider parking and eating them in the McDonald’s parking lot!

This is why April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Hopefully, by bringing awareness to how dangerous distracted driving is, like eating and driving, fewer people will get into distracted driving car accidents in the future.

Distracted driving, whether it is by eating food, texting, or blaring the radio, can be a dangerous activity and may result in a distracted driving car accident. Make a positive change for Distracted Driving Awareness Month by reconsidering eating that 5-layer Beef Burrito you just picked up from Taco Bell’s drive thru while driving. Instead, perhaps wait until your arrival home or even dine. Stay safe and avoid distracted driving. If you or anyone you know has been the victim of a distracted driving car crash, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM, for a free legal consultation.

Hollywood relies on fog heavily in many movies and TV shows to set the mood of a scene. The horror thriller The Mist's entire plot is based around fog! The Mist is about a small town that is invaded by a mysterious fog which releases vicious creatures, that a group of townsfolk have to fight, to save their lives and their town. While ordinary, fog that doesn’t come out of a machine like a film set doesn’t give people nightmares for weeks like Stephen King’s story, it does come with its own horrors. Driving in fog, for example, can be a very scary experience because a lot of people don't know how to drive in fog.

The Glossary of Meteorology from the American Meteorological Society informs that fog is a collection of water droplets suspended in the atmosphere in the vicinity of the earth's surface that affects visibility. Visibility distance is reduced by fog and heavy precipitation. Low visibility conditions cause increased speed variance, which increases car crash risk. Each year, over 38,700 car crashes occur in fog. Over 600 people are killed and more than 16,300 people are injured in these fog car accidents annually, according to the Federal Highway Weather Administration.

According to the Detroit Free Press, early morning on January 10, 2018 there was a car crash on northbound I-275 at 8 Mile Rd. and another car accident on eastbound I-94 at Conner Ave, due to fog. These accidents are more recent, but like any good horror movie villain, fog has created other, more serious, accidents in the past and can still cause more car accidents in the future if drivers aren't careful. In April of 2015, a 60 car pile up was reported on a highway which left 2 people dead and over 2 dozen injured. The series of car accidents were caused by a dense fog that made it really hard for drivers to see where they were driving. The Detroit Free Press notes that drivers should be especially cautious of travelling through fog when driving on bridges, overpasses, and ramps.

The National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHTSA) reported that distracted driving during foggy weather is a main factor with car accidents. Fog makes it hard for people to see. Being distracted with something only adds to the chance of getting into an accident. The NHTSA reported that speeding while driving in foggy weather also contribute to the number of deaths each year from car accidents. 4% of car crashes in 2017 were caused by fog.

Driving in fog can be difficult and requires more attention from the driver to safely drive. Any type of distractions that draw eyes away from the road in already decreased visibility, increase the risk of getting into a car crash. Here are some tips from the National Weather Service on how to drive safely in fog, if driving is unavoidable.

How To Drive In Fog

Slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination.

Make your vehicle visible to others both ahead of you and behind you by using your low-beam headlights since this means your taillights will also be on. Use fog lights if you have them.

Never use your high-beam lights. Using high beam lights causes glare, making it more difficult for you to see what’s ahead of you on the road.

Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern.

To ensure you are staying in the proper lane, follow the lines on the road with your eyes.

In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business and stop.

If there is no parking lot or driveway to pull into, pull your vehicle off to the side of the road as far as possible. Once you come to a stop, turn off all lights except your hazard flashing lights, set the emergency brake, and take your foot off of the brake pedal to be sure the tail lights are not illuminated so that other drivers don't mistakenly run into you.

Of course, it's always best to avoid driving in foggy weather, but the above tips may be able to help drivers safely navigate foggy conditions and avoid car crashes.

There is always a greater risk of car accidents occurring when mother nature throws a wrench at a driver’s plan to take the car out. Fog is one factor that increases the chances of car accidents. If you have been in a car accident and want a free consultation with a car accident attorney, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM.

Whether it’s winter or summer, every two years people all over the world tune in for the Olympics. This year’s Winter Olympics were held in PyeongChang, South Korea. An important and arguably one of the most popular parts of the Olympics, is the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony contains performances and events that officially start the beginning of the Olympics.

One special event within the opening ceremony, is the lighting of the torch. The Olympic torch relay that is completed in today’s modern Olympics honors the ancient games that started it all. The ancient games took place in Olympia, Greece and used the sun to light the torch, to ensure purity. A flame burned on the altar of the Greek Goddess Hestia, and such fires were also lit on the altars of Zeus and Hera, during the ancient games. During the modern day Olympics, the flames are lit for the entire duration of the Olympics and are extinguished at the end of the games at the closing ceremony.

This year’s Olympic torch lighting was done a little differently. HUBO the humanoid robot, created by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science (KAIST) and was included in the relay race and ran the final leg of the relay in the city of PyeongChang,South Korea. HUBO was developed by Professor Jun Ho Oh from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST University, and is best known for being the winner of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robotics Challenge in 2015.

The DARPA Robotics Challenge is a competition encouraging participants to develop semi-autonomous ground robots that can do complex tasks in dangerous, degraded, human-engineered environments, which falls in line with DARPA’s mission statement, “Creating breakthrough technologies and capabilities for national security.” In 2015, there were over 22 different robots created by robotics teams from all around the world, for the challenge. HUBO completed every challenge faster than any other robot in the DARPA competition. The challenges that the robots have to complete are tasks that can be used during any disaster situation. The tasks include:

KAIST university reported that the HUBO was mainly created for disaster rescue operations. While HUBO was created with ambitious goals, one more humble way it might be able to save lives is by helping car accident victims. Even if technology advances to only have autonomous cars on the road, there may always still be a risk of car accidents happening. In the present time, when 1.3 million car accidents happen per year, worldwide according to Safe International Road Travel, and over 1 million people are killed each year from car accidents, according to the NHTSA, HUBO may be able to help at the scene of a motor vehicle accident. One main problem with how we deal with car accidents today is the often times slow response time of overworked and understaffed first responders, especially in major cities like Detroit, which has a response time of about 52 minutes per accident, according to Bridge News.

A robot like HUBO may be able to help create faster response times and in some situations, may provide safer and quicker help than human responders who may have to put their own lives at risk. HUBO can move debris and break through concrete walls, and may be able to adapt its skills to pry open a crushed vehicle, allowing people trapped in a potentially fatal situation under the vehicle's weight, to be helped. And HUBO may be able to cut metal faster than it takes a couple of firefighters to operate the jaws of life. So, not only can HUBO save lives quicker but it may make first responders’ jobs safer. First responders’ won’t have to move or cut open cars or large debris, so it lowers the risk of them getting injured while trying to help somebody who was involved in a car accident.

Hopefully, HUBO will be fully operational and deployed in life saving situations, all over the world, very soon!

With technology advancing as quickly as it is, people should be aware of everything that technology has to offer. Robots like HUBO can have a huge impact on car accidents and help lessen the number of people injured or killed in car crashes. If you have been involved in a car accident, call a car accident attorney from The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

]]>Tips For Driving Over PotholesShama ParekhThu, 19 Apr 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/1/14/tips-for-driving-over-potholes54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a5bb091085229afb82a4cf8It seems as though the freezing temperatures are finally a thing of the past! We've actually had snow in April for the last few weeks, but Michiganders are all preparing themselves for some warm weather that’s headed this way. The warm weather comes with a cost though: Potholes. Potholes are nothing new to Michigan residents, but drivers everywhere are dreading popping a tire or wrecking their car's suspension on the pockmarked roads this Spring.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) says, "Potholes are created when snow and ice melt as part of Michigan's seasonal freeze-thaw cycles. Moisture seeps into the pavement, freezes, expands and thaws, creating a gap in the pavement. As vehicles drive over the gap, the pavement weakens leading to a pothole." While trying to avoid potholes is a good idea to prevent vehicle damage, dodging all the potholes like your racing your friend in Mario Kart isn’t a good idea. Yes, you missed the pothole but you put yourself and other people at risk of getting into a car accident, since swerving erratically may cause you to sideswipe a car! Instead, by following these pothole driving tips by MDOT, you may be able to avoid pothole vehicle damage and car accidents!

Tips For Driving Over Potholes

Be Vigilant - it's best to avoid hitting potholes whenever possible. That's easier to do if you're driving cautiously, and not tailgating, so you have more time to see and react to any potholes you're approaching.

Be Cautious Around Puddles - they could be potholes filled with water. Since water is a critical component to forming potholes,

Slow Down - If you see a pothole ahead and can't safely steer to avoid it, it's best to slow down, then release the brakes before you hit the pothole.

Vehicle Maintenance Helps - Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Over- or under-inflated tires are worse when they tangle with a pothole.

There are some potholes that are small and can easily be driven over without any damage to your car and there are some that can be very deep and many feet wide. The above pothole tips may help drivers navigate potholes with minimal vehicle damage, but sometimes it's not possible to avoid pothole vehicle damage. The best way to avoid pothole damage to your vehicle may be to avoid experiencing road damage all together! By reporting potholes to MDOT, and because of the recently approved road repair budget, it’s possible that all potholes could be filled this Spring before they cause too much damage to cars and to car owners’ wallets. But, if you do find yourself having to shell out cash to your mechanic because you couldn’t avoid a crater in the road, there may be a possibility that you can be reimbursed by the State of Michigan for pothole vehicle damage. However drivers should keep in mind that, according to The Detroit Free Press, there is a 30-day window, from the time a pothole is reported to when it is fixed, when road commissions and municipal street departments can avoid responsibility for damaged vehicles. The State of Michigan reimbursed only 9 of the 267 pothole claims for $1,000 or less made during fiscal year 2017, according to MDOT, but it still may be worth a shot.

Potholes can be reported on the MDOT website or by calling 888-296-4546.

Every year tons of potholes are filled in hopes of creating safer roads for people to drive on. But potholes are an unavoidable, never ending cycle that reemerge each year, which is why car accidents due to potholes and other types of road damage occur each year too. Road damage accidents not only cause serious damage to vehicles but can also cause serious injury to people. For a free legal consultation with an auto accident attorney regarding road damage car crashes or any type of auto accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.

]]>Rollover Car Accident Kills 2 StudentsShama ParekhWed, 18 Apr 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/2/12/rollover-car-accident-kills-2-students54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a81dfd053450ae29827e21fEvery day, thousands of people are involved in car accidents. Some of those car accidents can result in rollovers. According to the NHTSA, more than 15,000 car crashes happen each day in the United States and of those accidents, 7,000 resulted in rollovers. The NHTSA splits rollover car accidents into two categories: tripped or untripped. “A tripped rollover event occurs when a vehicle runs off the road and is tripped by a ditch, soft soil, a curb or other objects causing a vehicle to roll over. An untripped rollover event happens when the tire/road interface friction is the only external force acting on a vehicle, thereby inducing it to roll over.”

According to the NHTSA, there are six main factors that cause rollover accidents:

6 Factors That Cause Rollover Car Accidents

1. VEHICLE TYPE - All types of vehicles can rollover. However, taller, narrower vehicles such as SUVs, pickups, and vans have higher centers of gravity, and thus are more susceptible to rollover if involved in a single-vehicle crash.

2. SPEED - Fatal rollover crashes are speed-related more often than fatal non-rollover crashes. Some 40% of fatal rollover crashes involved excessive speeding . Additionally, nearly ¾ of fatal rollovers took place where the posted speed limit was 55 miles per hour or higher.

3. ALCOHOL - Nearly half of all fatal rollover crashes involve alcohol . Impairment can result from any blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above .00 . Even a small amount of alcohol will negatively affect your judgment, muscular coordination, and vision, making you more likely to lose control of your vehicle.

4. LOCATION - Rural roads tend to be undivided and without barriers. They are thus more likely to be the scene of a fatal rollover. Almost ¾ of fatal rollovers occur in rural areas where the posted speed limit is typically 55 miles per hour or higher.

5. ROUTINE DRIVING - NHTSA data also suggest that over 90% of the vehicles in fatal, single-vehicle rollover crashes were involved in routine driving maneuvers (going straight or negotiating a curve) at the time of the crash. This further suggests that driver behavior (distraction, inattentiveness, speeding, and impaired driving) plays a significant role in rollover crashes.

6. SINGLE-VEHICLE CRASHES - NHTSA data show that nearly 85% of all rollover-related fatalities are the result of single-vehicle crashes. This means that the majority of rollover crashes and fatalities do not involve any other vehicle besides the one that rolled over, further suggesting that driver behavior plays a significant role in rollover crashes.

All of these are factors in rollovers, but sometimes the cause for a rollover accident is unknown. One example of an unknown cause of a rollover accident is the the story of 2 16-year-old girls, Darian Locklear and Julianna Ward-Brown. According to the Detroit Free Press, the girls were driving down I-94 near Williamston, Michigan, to their evening hockey practice when they lost control of the car and hit a tree in the median. The vehicle rolled and hit another tree. Police reported that they didn't have a cause for the accident and are still investigating the accident.

There are many different causes of rollover car accidents and now car companies are helping to reduce the chance of a fatal rollovers. Jeep has created a product that helps keep the car in tact in case of a rollover. It's called a Roll Cage and can be bought and installed to any Jeep. The Roll Cage is installed on the roof of Jeeps to help in the case of a rollover accident. It prevents the car from rolling and if the car does roll the passengers inside the vehicle have a lower chance of getting injured. These Roll Cages are a small step in the right direction to help create safer vehicles for people to drive.

Accidents of all kind are very scary. It can happen and any moment to anybody. An important thing to remember is to always make sure you are driving safely and within the speed limit with all your attention on the road. A small distraction can have a big consequence. If you or someone you know has been in an accident call call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

]]>Don't Groom And Drive!Shama ParekhTue, 17 Apr 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/4/6/haxj76duacbe62a1sht5e4v1qhf5tj54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5ac78dcc70a6ad5c6a37520dWith only 24 hours in a day and a majority of those hours being spent on work or sleep, there isn’t much time left to spend on yourself, doing leisurely activities, running a few errands, and checking a few things off your to-do list. Grooming is a good example of a time consuming personal care task that people are finding they don’t have time for. So, to squeeze into morning routines while also taking advantage of rush hour, many people are grooming themselves while driving!

Applying a little lipstick or making a few fixes to your hair couldn’t possibly be a bad idea, right? Well, it is in fact a bad thing! Grooming while driving is part of a bigger issue known as distracted driving. 3,477 people were killed and 391,000 people were injured because of distracted driving in 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

When people hear of distracted driving, they automatically think about texting and driving. While cell phone usage majorly contributes to distracted driving, it’s not the only factor. Applying makeup while driving is something that a lot of people do often. According to a recent study, around 1 out of 5 of female motorists have admitted to putting on makeup while driving, and nearly 500,000 car crashes are caused by women putting on makeup!

Looking away from the road while driving for even a few seconds is enough time for a car accident to happen. Whether it’s putting on makeup or fixing your hair, distracted driving is 100% preventable! The Auto Alliance’s DecidetoDrive.org gives a few tips to help drivers prevent themselves from engaging in distracted driving.

Tips To Help Drivers Avoid Distracted Driving

Plan ahead. Poor planning is often the catalyst for driving and grooming incidents. Rather than placing your life and the lives of others at risk, plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to perform grooming routines before you leave the house.

Keep grooming items out of reach. If you take grooming items with you, make sure they are well out of reach. For example, instead of leaving brushes or makeup on the passenger seat, secure them in the trunk or in the back seat so you won’t be tempted to use them when you are operating the vehicle.

Pull over, if necessary. If you can’t wait to take care of a grooming need while you are traveling, pull over to the side of the road. The few extra minutes it will add to your commute are a small price to pay for highway safety.

The most important tip to avoid grooming while driving? Keep your eyes on the wheel and hands on the road at all times.

For additional tips, we encourage you to take a look at Decide to Drive’s “Wreck-less Checklist”—a handy guide with advice about how to avoid a range of distracted driving behaviors.

In a recent study, the NHTSA examined all of the activities that people engage in while driving and 8% of people admitted to grooming while driving. It’s important to note that women applying makeup aren’t the only groomers who are distractedly driving. Men and women have both been known to shave while driving and even brush their teeth! Grooming while driving sounds silly but is understandable because everyone wants to look good, especially when they’re about to meet other people! What is not understandable however, is continuing to groom while driving after realizing how many distracted driving car accidents have occurred due to this. Since April is Distracted Driving Awareness month, hopefully people will now take the time to gargle mouthwash and comb their hair at home, in a parked car, or on the side of the road, instead of while operating a motor vehicle!

Distracted driving is 100% preventable and 100% likely to get distracted drivers into legal trouble if their distracted driving behavior causes a car accident. Legal trouble aside, distracted driving car accidents can also lead to serious injuries and even death. Not only does distracted driving risk the life of the distracted driver but also everyone else on the road. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a distracted driving car crash, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM, for a free legal consultation with a car accident attorney.

WRONG WAY! DO NOT ENTER! Seeing a bright red sign next to the road that says, "WRONG WAY" on it, would make most people understand not to drive down that particular road. However, driving the wrong way on a highway happens more times then you would think, which is why the Michigan State Police are urging everyone to watch out for the reckless drivers who have been driving the wrong way down the highway. In Metro Detroit, according to the Detroit Free Press, tipsters call 911 to report 15 to 20 wrong-way drivers a month, although only 4 to 6 of those drivers have been caught on street surveillance cameras. Out of all those reported drivers, some wrong way driving incidents result in car accidents which cause serious injuries or even death.

One wrong way driver who caused a car accident was 65-year-old Mary Okke from Plainfield Township, Michigan. Ms. Okke died in August of 2017 after she drove her car the wrong way on U.S.-131 and hit a charter bus, just north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Another wrong way driving car crash fatality was caused by Councilman, Michael Stack. The 59-year-old was driving the wrong way on I-275 in Canton when he struck and killed a young newly engaged couple in December of 2017. According to the Oakland Press, police said he had no alcohol in his system when he was driving, but they found an open bottle of vodka in his car. Finding the open bottle of alcohol led police to do a drug test to determine if there were any narcotics in his system, but all tests came back negative.

While police have determined that alcohol was not a factor in the Councilman's car crash, unfortunately that isn’t always the case. In early December, freeway cameras recorded a car driving the wrong way on I-75 heading north. Driving the car was a 27-year-old woman named Tonya Berta from Ida, Michigan. The police discovered that Berta's 1-year-old child was hidden under a blanket in the backseat. The Michigan State Police were not surprised when they found out that Berta was under the influence of alcohol. Fox2Detroit reported that Ms. Berta "was sentenced to 3 years of probation and 8 months in jail on the charge of operating while intoxicated with an occupant less than 16 and possession of a controlled substance, second or subsequent offense."

Alcohol may have played a significant factor in Ms. Berta's car accident, but like the other 2 wrong way driving car crashes, alcohol isn’t the only cause of wrong way accidents. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has said that 60% of wrong way entries to freeways occurred at the old-fashioned design for ramps called “partial cloverleafs.” Partial cloverleafs are ramps that place the exit and entry ramps right next to each other, which can be confusing to drivers. These types of ramps can be found at I-94 and Gratiot Avenue in Detroit.

Another factor that could cause these wrong-way accidents is the time of day when the car crash occurs. A lot of car accident fatalities have happened late at night or early in the morning, when it is still dark outside and more difficult for drivers to see.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, “Nationwide, wrong way drivers cause about 360 deaths a year. In Michigan from 2011 through 2016, 8 motorists died in such crashes.” There have been almost half the amount of car crashes from wrong way driving in the last few months than there have been in 5 years. In an attempt to lessen the chances of wrong way driving, MDOT has made efforts to reduce the chances of drivers accidentally driving down the wrong ramp. As of July of 2017, MDOT has been installing better signs and new lane guides at highway entrances and exits that will help people navigate the highways more easily. However, placing larger signs next to highways does not mean that it is OK to drink and drive by any means. Drugs or alcohol should never be consumed before or while operating a motor vehicle.

When driving, it's always best to make sure full attention is kept on the road. Taking your eyes off the road, even for a few seconds, is enough time to take a wrong turn on a road you aren't meant to drive on. If you or someone you know has been involved in a car accident, call 844.4MI.FIRM to have a free consultation with an accident attorney at The Michigan Law Firm, PC.

]]>Michigan Woman Dies After Being Struck By Vehicle In Parking LotKatie StathulisSun, 15 Apr 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/12/5/michigan-woman-dies-after-being-struck-by-vehicle-in-parking-lot54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a26bfcb71c10b352cd56d0dA Michigan woman has passed away after being hit by a car in a grocery store parking lot outside of Muskegon, Michigan. According to the Detroit Free Press, Betty Jean Wolovek, 82, was struck by a vehicle in the parking lot of E&A Grocery on East Apple Avenue in Egelston Township, Michigan. The accident occurred on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2017, at around 10:30 AM. She was taken to Mercy Health, where she died from her injuries.

The car accident is still under investigation. Currently, Muskegon police have not released any details about the driver or if any criminal charges have been filed. According to Wolovek’s son, she was hit by a female driver who remained on scene until the police arrived. He believes the driver was backing up when she hit his mother.

Parking lot accidents are unfortunately common in the United States. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), an average of 50,000 accidents occur each year in parking lots and garages. Parking lot accidents result in about 500 deaths and 60,000 injuries each year. And since traffic deaths on highways and surface roads have been rising in recent years, it’s likely that the number of parking lot accident deaths may rise too.

A survey done by the NSC in 2016 found that 66% of drivers admit to making phone calls while driving in parking lots, and 56% admit to texting. Drivers also admitted to programming their GPS, sending or receiving emails, taking photos or watching videos, using a smartphone, surfing the internet, and video chatting, all while driving in parking lots.

Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the NSC, said that, "Parking lots are intense driving environments that require both drivers and pedestrians to pay close attention...It is discouraging that so many drivers are willing to add distractions to that mix. When you're in a parking lot, you need to be hyper-vigilant to the risks surrounding you – just because speeds are lower doesn't mean you are safe." To help prevent car crashes, the NSC provides the following tips for drivers while in parking lots.

Parking Lot Driving Safety Tips

Stay in lanes and avoid cutting across lots.

Drive slowly and use directional signals.

Anticipate the actions of other drivers.

Obey stop signs and no-parking signs.

When backing out, be mindful of vehicles and pedestrians.

Watch for small children and parents with baby strollers.

It’s not just drivers who need to remain vigilant and free from distractions while in parking lots, however. From 2001 to 2011, more than 11,000 pedestrians were seriously injured because they were distracted by phones. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes that like traffic deaths, pedestrian accident deaths are also on the rise. Pedestrian deaths jumped 9% from 2014 to 2015, and are at the highest number they’ve been since 1996. When walking through a parking lot, pedestrians need to put the phone down, and be aware of vehicles that could start backing up at any moment.

Drivers and pedestrians must work together to car accidents in parking lots. Pedestrians need to stay away from their phones and any other distractions while walking to and from their cars, and be on the lookout for cars with their brake lights on, or any other signal that a car may be about to move. Drivers should program their GPS, send emails, make phone calls, and do whatever else they need to do while their car is in park and not moving - not while driving. When backing out of a parking space, drivers should check and double check for pedestrians, shopping carts, and any other hazards that may be their way. Parking lots may not seem as dangerous as highways, but distracted driving accidents can happen anywhere, and drivers should always know how to be safe avoid car accidents.

Parking lot accidents may not receive as much attention as high-speed car crashes on the freeway, but the truth is that car collisions can happen anywhere. If you have been involved in an automobile accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

Raising a dog is an amazing experience! Despite the fact that a pet is an entirely different species, many people grow just as attached to a dog as they would a person. People talk to dogs like humans, care for dogs like children, and love them with all their hearts. A pet isn’t just an animal, it becomes a part of the family. Despite dogs being thoroughly domesticated and their usually lovable natures however, dogs have still maintained their predatory instincts and it’s important to be cautious when interacting with these animals. That's why April 8-14th this year is Dog Bite Prevention Week! As we previously mentioned in other Dog Bite Prevention Week articles this past week, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommends that people do not approach a dog that is acting oddly, or aggressively, or the person might risk receiving a dog bite injury.

A dog can’t be held completely responsible for its behavior in attacking, but dog owners are responsible for their pet and their pet’s actions toward those it comes in contact with. So to not be blamed for their dog biting someone, tearing up the lawn next door, or starting a neighborhood dog fight club, the AVMA recommends that pet owners train their dog to prevent it from acting out, which could lead to dog bite injuries. Even basic commands like “sit” and “come” help dogs understand what’s expected from them and can help avoid possible dog attack situations. Also, remembering to keep dogs on a leash while in public, ensures the safety of the dog, prevents it from running away, and is a comforting measure to people who may feel uncomfortable around dogs. It should also be noted that it is illegal in the State of Michigan to have an unleashed dog in public.

However, even a well-trained dog can be set off by a person’s actions and decide to bite them, in self defense. In dog attack situations, responsible dog owners should be aware of the following information provided by the AVMA.

What Do I Do If My Dog Bites Someone?

Dog bites are scary for everyone involved – the person who has been bitten, the dog owner and even the dog. If your dog happens to bite someone, remember that you are responsible to help the person who has been bitten and to remove your dog from the situation. What should you do if the unfortunate happens?

Restrain your dog immediately.

Separate your dog from the scene of the bite.

Try to confine your dog in a safe place.

Check on the bite victim’s condition.

Make sure that the wounds are washed with soap and water.

Encourage the bite victim to seek professional medical advice to check on the seriousness of the wound and the risk of rabies or other infections.

Call 911 if a response by paramedics is needed.

Provide important information.

Give the bite victim – or others who are with the person at the time of the incident – your name, address and phone number, as well as information about your dog’s most recent rabies vaccination.

Obey local rules and laws regarding reporting of dog bites.

Talk to your veterinarian for advice about dog behavior that will help prevent similar incidents in the future.

Before approaching any dog, even one with its owner, the AVMA recommends that people pay attention to the behavior of a dog before engaging and to ask the owner before petting their pooch. The dog may not be friendly towards strangers or might be in distress and see the person as a threat, which could leave the well-intentioned dog lover with a dog bite and a trip to the ER. After all, dog bite injuries are serious injuries. 1 in 5 people bitten by a dog require medical attention.

The bond between man and dog is undeniable. People love dogs and many would feel lost without them. There are about 70 million dogs living in U.S. households, according to the AVMA, and such a large number shows how much people value dogs in the U.S. today. However, it’s always better to be safe than sorry with so many dogs around, so it’s important to be aware of dog bite prevention tactics and what to do in the case of a dog bite injury.

Dog bite injuries can occur unexpectedly. Any dog, stray or house pet, can cause a dog bite injury. Therefore, it’s important to take safety precautions before approaching a dog, and as the owner of a dog, to be vigilant of its actions. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a dog bite accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.464.3476 for a free consultation with a dog bite attorney. Dog bites are painful but the medical bills they create can be equally agonizing.

]]>Distracted Driving Kills! Don't Text And Drive!Gabriela PinottiFri, 13 Apr 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/4/9/distracted-driving-kills-dont-text-and-drive54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5acb8775758d46742a8243f1In 2018, not a day goes by that we don’t use technology. With the cars we drive, the phones we use, the watches on our wrist, technology seems to be in the air we breathe! Add on using the newest filters on Snapchat and Instagram, to sending text messages or answering phone calls, and technology can become extremely dangerous for drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that approximately 660,000 people are using their cell phones while driving, daily! And, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report from 2015 found that, “there were 3,477 people killed and an estimated additional 391,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.”

That is why readers should know that April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month! It’s important for drivers everywhere to be reminded about the serious dangers that distracted driving poses, because, the kicker is that all distracted driving car accidents and distracted driving accident fatalities are completely preventable! The National Safety Council (NSC) warns us that, “Each death is 100% preventable. From cell phones to dashboard infotainment systems to evolving voice command features – all pose a threat to our safety. Just one second of your attention is all takes to change a life forever.”

Cell phones are the number one suspect that comes to mind when thinking of distracted driving car accidents. In particular texting and driving is a big cause of distracted driving car accidents. In 2015, a survey of Michigan drivers found that 41% of young adults between the ages of 20-30 have admitted to texting and driving on a regular basis! 26% even admitted to texting and driving on a daily basis! Coincidentally, the State of Michigan reported that, “There were 7,516 crashes in Michigan during 2015 involving distracted driving, resulting in 28 fatalities and 3,472 injuries. Cell phones were involved in 753 crashes, with three fatalities and 377 injuries."

No matter the distracting device however, whether it be cell phones, headphones, or smartwatches, any electronic device can impair driving. It might not seem like a big deal to see if you received a text message or a news update when your phone pings, after all, you’re just seeing what type of notification it is and don’t plan to read the text or the news blurb. However, engaging in such a seemingly harmless distraction while driving can lead to a car crash. In fact, the NHTSA says that looking down at a phone for five seconds driving at 55mph is like driving the length of a football field, blindfolded!

Unfortunately distracted driving isn’t just caused by using electronic devices. Changing the radio station because Nickelback is playing, driving with one hand on the wheel and one hand carrying a Big Mac to your mouth, or quickly reaching over to pick up Elmo after your kid dropped him, can all be distracted driving actions that can lead to serious car accidents. While these types of distracted driving habits have always existed, distracted driving has evolved in the age of social media. It’s not just about calling or texting someone while driving, but about applying the cutest camera filter for a behind-the-wheel selfie, or even checking Twitter to see what’s trending, or going on Facebook to see how many likes a post has gotten.

The number of distracted driving car accidents and distracted driving fatalities are scary enough to make people want to throw their phone out of a car window, but that’s not practical. Our society can no longer function without the easy communication and quick internet access cell phones provide us. Many people even see cell phones as an extension of their body, like another limb even. Therefore, it’s unreasonable to tell people to leave their phones at home when they plan to drive. Rather than facing that horrifying ultimatum, the public should be made aware of less drastic ways to prevent distracted driving. For example, some tech companies have invented apps, and even programs in their operating systems to prevent distracted driving car accidents. As previously reported by The Michigan Law Firm, PC, apps like Groove, and phone lock out programs like Apple’s Do Not Disturb While Driving mode, help prevent distracted driving car accidents.

Some organizations like AT&T have launched sponsorships like the It Can Wait pledge, to end distracted driving. With over 24 million pledges to stop distracted driving, It Can Wait has become one of the most popular anti-distracted driving organizations. It Can Wait has even created a virtual reality simulator that allows users to experience the dangers of texting and driving and shows how using a cell phone while driving truly impacts ones vision. It Can Wait also wants their users to take the pledge today, to stand up to distracted driving, and to become an activist who says ‘No’ to using a distracting device like a cell phone, to prevent car accidents, and to save lives. The organization, as previously reported by The Michigan Law Firm, also launched their DriveMode application that helps minimize cell phone distractions while driving.

Distracted driving car crashes happen daily due to texting and driving, eating and driving, taking pictures and driving, and from engaging in any activity that causes drivers to not pay 100% attention to the road. If you or anyone you know has been involved in a car crash caused by a distracted driver, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM. Our experienced accident attorneys offer free consultations to victims of car accidents.

]]>Bus Safety Tips For Parents And ChildrenGabriela PinottiThu, 12 Apr 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/4/11/bus-safety-tips-for-parents-and-children54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5ace7846f950b7e19dbc1633Getting on a bus means going on an adventure. Sure, buses take students to school and adults to work, but they can also take people on fun adventures like field trips to The Detroit Zoo or to the Tigers game! However, many people are wary of bus transportation at the moment because, within the last week, several horrific bus accidents have been reported in the news.

One devastating bus accident revolved around a Canadian hockey team on their way to a playoff game. The travel bus containing 29 passengers collided with a tractor-trailer, killing 15 of the passengers aboard, CNN reported.

A second crash within the same week as the Canadian hockey team bus crash, revolved around a charter bus accident that took place in New York. The charter bus was taller than the overpass it was attempting to driver under, which lead to the whole roof of the bus being sliced off. Dozens of students have been injured, some severely, in the New York charter bus accident, as reported by USA Today.

The New York Times reported another school bus crash on Monday, April 9, 2018 which involved 23 school children from ages 4-12, and 4 adults. This third bus accident took place in India and there is no known exact cause for the bus crash, as investigators have just begun their research into the crash.

These horrific bus crashes prove that bus accidents can happen anywhere, at any time, and for any reason. Since 2 of the 3 bus crashes were school bus accidents, The Michigan Law Firm, PC blog wants to focus on the importance of school bus safety. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation provides the following school bus safety tips for parents and students to keep their school commutes safe:

SCHOOL BUS SAFETY TIPS

Get to the school bus stop five minutes early, so you won't have to run across the road to catch the bus.

When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic. Line up at least five giant steps away from the curb or the roadway to wait for the bus.

Never run after the school bus if it has already left the bus stop.

Never push when getting on or off of the school bus.

Always walk at least 10 feet in front of the bus when crossing so that the school bus driver can see you.

Be aware - Cross with Care! Wait until the school bus has stopped all traffic before stepping out onto the road.

When the school bus is moving, always stay in your seat. Never put your head, arms or hands out of the window.

Talk quietly; do not distract your school bus driver.

If your school bus crosses railroad tracks, be calm and quiet so that your driver can listen for a train. Always obey your school bus driver's instructions, so that he or she can make safe decisions.

Never play with the emergency exits. Backpacks, band instruments, or sports equipment may not block the aisle or emergency exits. If there is an emergency, listen to the driver and follow instructions.

When getting off of the school bus, make sure that all drawstrings and other loose objects are secure so that they don't get caught on the handrail or the door.

Never cross the street behind the school bus.

If you leave something on the bus or drop something outside of the bus, never go back for it. The driver may not see you and begin moving the bus.

Never speak to strangers at the bus stop and never get into the car with a stranger.

Following these school bus safety tips may help students get to and from school safely, but as we learned this week, not all bus accidents can be fully prevented. It’s always important to take safety precautions when operating or riding in any type of motor vehicle. The Michigan Law Firm, PC sends our deepest condolences to all those involved in the above-mentioned bus crashes, and well wishes to any bus accident survivors.

If you or anyone you know have been in a bus crash, or any type of motor vehicle accident, please contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM, for a free legal consultation with an experienced attorney.

]]>How To Handle A Dog Bite!Shama ParekhWed, 11 Apr 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/4/6/how-to-handle-a-dog-bite54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5ac7a3a76d2a7301bdd39d99Today is National Pet Day! So pet lovers will be spending the day cuddling their cats, feeding lettuce to their turtle, watching TV with their gold fish, and most commonly, head head to the park with their dogs! Dogs are man’s best friend, which is proven by the fact that according to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMA), there are about 70 million dogs living in U.S. households. Since this is such a large number of dogs, it’s not hard to believe that there must also be a large number of dog bites in the US. In fact, more than 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs every year, and 1 in 5 people require medical attention after being bitten. As The Michigan Law Firm, PC blog informed readers the other day, family dogs and stray dogs are equally likely to attack, if provoked.

However, just because a person doesn’t provoke a dog doesn’t mean that a dog won't approach the person. Let’s say you’re hanging out in your backyard all by yourself, when all of a sudden a huge, growling dog jumps over the fence and into your yard. You didn’t invite it in! The dog didn’t ring the doorbell and bring you a casserole! You don’t want to make a sudden move and anger the dog into attacking you and you don’t see the dog’s owner anywhere! Or may it’s a stray, it's mouth is foaming after all! You’re cornered with nowhere to go, so you slowly try to reach into your pocket for your phone, in order to call for help. But it’s too late! Your subtle movement was enough to threaten the dog and before you know it, you’re on your back, putting your arms up to defend your body from the 70 lb beast trying to maul you. You kick out in self defense and manage to shove the dog off of you and you use the momentum to your advantage and run inside your house and lock the door. As you lean against the door, catching your breath after Cujo's attack, a searing pain rips through your arm. You’ve been bitten.

So, what should a person who was involved in a dog attack accident do in the event that they experience a dog bite? Well, the AMVA gives the following post-dog bite advice:

What To Do After A Dog Bite

If the dog's owner is present, request proof of rabies vaccination, and get the owner's name and contact information.

Clean bite wound with soap and water as soon as possible.

Consult your doctor immediately or go to the emergency room if it's after office hours.

Contact the dog's veterinarian to check vaccination records.

Even seemingly harmless nibbles that break the skin should be taken seriously to prevent a dog bite injury from worsening, especially if it’s a stray of a dog you don’t have the medical history of. And in the case of a larger or deeper bite, Dr. Amy Flowers, DVM says it is possible that there could be damage to muscles, tendons, or nerves. If the bite is deep enough dog bite victims may need stitches to close the wound. Dog bite injuries that are swollen, red, or warm to the touch indicate signs of infection and should be brought to a doctor’s attention. If the dog bite injury is serious enough, it may even require surgery. Dog bite surgery may sound like an exaggeration to some, but The American Society of Plastic Surgery reported that nearly 29,000 reconstructive procedures were performed in 2016, to repair dog bite injuries.

Everyone should also remember that not all dog bite injuries are caused by interactions with stray dogs. According to the AVMA, 36.5% of households have at least 1 dog, and people with 2 dogs in the household are more likely to be bitten. Even if a dog is your best friend and very well trained, dogs are still animals and they can still bite, in certain situations. While the AMVA’s tips on how to prevent dog bites are useful to avoid facing a dog bite injury, sometimes dog attacks can’t be avoided. Therefore it’s best to have the knowledge of how to treat a dog bite in your pocket.

With over 70 million dogs in the United States, there is a high chance of people getting into dog bite accidents. Medical expenses aren’t the only cost rising out of a dog bite, since according to the AMVA, dog bites accounted for one third of homeowners liability claims, in the last year! If you have been bitten by a dog and are unsure what the next legal step is, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC. Call 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation to personally meet with a dog bite attorney.

]]>Work Zone Driving SafetyGabriela PinottiTue, 10 Apr 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/4/8/work-zone-driving-safety54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5acaba192b6a289d08c555c0Construction season is in full blossom this Spring, just in time for the launch of the annual National Work Zone Awareness Week. This year, National Work Zone Awareness Week will take place from April 9-13. It couldn’t have come at a better time as we all know that construction season brings some of the busiest and most dangerous times of the year for construction crews, especially on the treacherous Michigan roads This year’s theme for National Work Zone Awareness Week is, “Everybody’s Responsibility,” because, well, it’s everybody’s responsibility to be looking out for the construction crews, while driving their daily commutes.

In 2015, The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse reported that 34,506 people were injured in work zones. The reason for the high number of construction car accident injuries could be due to the fact that sometimes, work zones seem to appear out of nowhere, and drivers can’t stop or slow down in time to avoid a car crash. Construction areas can be set up overnight and therefore may be unexpected, and can cause unpredictable breaks in traffic flow. While everyone knows to expect construction come springtime and can look up where construction will be taking place in their towns so that they can try to avoid those routes, there are times that drivers may find themselves in construction zones anyway. For those occasions and in case some morning commutes can’t avoid driving through work zones, the Indiana Department of Transportation suggests the follows tips to navigate safely through work zones:

How to Safely Drive Through Work Zones

Take extra care to pay attention and expect the unexpected. Work Zone configurations can change without notice.

Don’t text or talk on the phone and avoid taking your hands off the wheel. Distracted driving has become a crisis on all roadways. Driver inattention is a leading cause of all highway crashes,

Respect the posted speed limits and safely merge as soon as safely possible as this will allow traffic to flow smoothly. Keep in mind, driving 45 MPH instead of 55 MPH through a 5 mile work zone will only add 1.2 minutes to your trip. Speeding and aggressive driving is a major cause of work zone crashes.

Keep a safe distance on all sides of your vehicles and maintain a safe following distance. Rear-end collisions are the most common type of work zone crash.

Respect the flaggers and obey their guidance. Be patient when driving through work sites with flagger control.

Pay attention to the construction signing. Those signs are carefully selected to give drivers accurate information and important warnings.

Expect delays and allow extra travel time to travel through work zones.

Select alternate routes if possible to avoid the work zone completely.

Be patient and stay calm. Remember that the construction crews are working to make the road better for you!

Workzonesafety.org reported that in 2016, there were a total of 683 fatal car crashes that resulted in 765 fatalities. Construction crews alone had 143 fatalities in that year. Not all of these tips can prevent fatalities from construction site car crashes but they do help l bring awareness to the issue of work zone safety. This construction safety awareness combines with a list of all of the Michigan routes, Michigan construction sites, and Michigan construction zones that will be worked on in the 2018 year, posted by the State of Michigan, should help drivers take a careful and informed step toward preventing construction car accidents this spring and summer.

Construction workers risk their lives daily so that citizens can have sturdy infrastructure. Therefore, it’s our duty to drive as carefully around work zones as possible, to avoid car accidents and to avoid injuring construction workers. If you or anyone you know has been injured in a car accident of any kind, including a construction zone car crash, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM. Our experienced accident attorneys give free consultations to victims of car crashes.

From cute and fluffy Cockapoos to majestic and athletic German Shepherds, it’s tough to resist the urge to grab hold of a dog and smother it in kisses and hugs. Even the most stoic and stone-hearted people break into a smile when they pass a happy, tail-wagging golden retriever. It’s a fact that dogs bring joy to humans but man’s best friend can turn from cuddly to cutthroat in the blink of an eye, if they feel threatened.

Proving that domesticated dogs are still animals is the story of a 7-year-old girl in Highland Township, Michigan, who was attacked by dogs her parents had recently acquired from an animal shelter. The Detroit Free Press reported that the girl opened the gate to a dog pen containing 7 dogs, when 2 of the dogs attacked her and began biting at her neck and head. Her 6-year-old brother saw the dog attack and ran to get their mother, who wrestled the dogs away, but received a deep bite on her arm in the process. The girl’s worst dog bite injuries were to her neck and trachea. She was listed as in critical, but stable condition and thankfully recovered from her injuries

This dog bite story shouldn’t come as a surprise since, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), children are the most common victims of dog bites. More than 4.5 million people in the U.S. are bitten by dogs every year, and at least half of those bitten are children. This is most likely because children don’t realize the possible dangers of dogs. They only see an adorable puppy and play toy, not realizing that care should be taken while dealing with dogs.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week is always on the second week of April, which is April 8 - 14 for 2018. The purpose of this week’s spotlight is to help people realize how serious dog bite injuries can be. It’s important to remember that any dog can bite, from big to small and young to old. Before approaching any dog, the AVMA recommends that people pay attention to the behavior of the dog before engaging. The dog may not be friendly towards strangers or might be in distress and see the person as a threat, and feel the need to defend itself by attacking.

One way to help prevent a dog bite injury is to recognize risky dog attack situations. What many people don’t realize is that dog bites aren’t just caused by interacting with stray dogs, but also with dogs people are familiar with. People feel that because they have previously interacted with a dog, that there is no danger of a serious dog bite injury. But even the family dog may attack if it feels threatened.

Another mistake people make, is believing that a dog will act the same way every time. There are several reasons why a dog could act out, even if the dog hasn’t exhibited behavioral problems in the past. The more uncomfortable the dog feels, the more likely the risk of a dog attack and dog bite injuries. It’s also a safer idea to ask for the owner’s permission before engaging with a dog, and to allow the dog, not the human, to decide if it wants to interact with someone, even if a person has had pleasant interactions with that dog before.

If a dog is acting oddly or aggressively, the AVMA recommends breaking eye contact, calmly moving away from the dog, and not making any sudden movements or loud or high-pitched sounds, which could escalate the dog’s behavior. The AVMA includes several other tips on how to avoid dog attack accidents, which are listed below:

How To Avoid Dog Attack Accidents

It's important to know how to avoid escalating risky situations and to understand when you should and should not interact with dogs. You should avoid petting a dog in these scenarios:

If the dog is not with its owner.

If the dog is with its owner but the owner does not give permission to pet the dog.

If the dog is on the other side of a fence – don't reach through or over a fence to pet a dog.

If a dog is sleeping or eating.

If a dog is sick or injured.

If a dog is resting with her puppies or seems very protective of her puppies and anxious about your presence.

If a dog is playing with a toy.

If a dog is growling or barking.

If a dog appears to be hiding or seeking time alone.

Dog bite accidents sound dangerous and that’s because they are. 1 in 5 people require medical attention after being bitten by a dog. Recognizing odd animal behavior is a good way to avoid a dog attack situation. By following the dog bite prevention tips above, people may be able to avoid costly emergency room medical bills and having to deal with a dog bite lawyer.

Dog bites are all too common. Even though dogs were been domesticated nearly 15,000 years ago, these animals still survive by using their base instincts. As such, even the family dog, Fluffy, may attack if provoked. And dog bites can cause serious physical injuries and even post traumatic stress disorder, which can cause the medical bills to pile up. On top of medical expenses, dog bites also bring on legal confusion as to fault and negligence. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a dog bite accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.464.3476 for a free consultation with a dog bite attorney.

]]>Takata Air Bag Inflators Recalled After Explosion Caused Fatality Shama ParekhSun, 08 Apr 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/1/17/takata-air-bag-inflators-recalled-after-explosion-caused-fatality54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a5f6b9671c10bedb020455dThe Takata airbag scandal is not new news to readers who follow The Michigan Law Firm, PC blog. For those who are unaware however, in 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that Takata airbags were defective and could explode when deployed during a car accident, or even spontaneously due to wear over time. These exploding airbags have caused serious injuries and even death. The Detroit Free Press has recently issued a warning to all 2006 Ford Ranger drivers, in relation to defective Takata airbags, urging them to get their vehicles inspected immediately.

The Detroit Free Press also reported that, "inflators, which use ammonium nitrate as a propellant, can explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel. The problem touched off the largest string of auto recalls in U.S. history and forced Takata into bankruptcy and more than 180 people have been injured." In January of 2016, Ford recalled 391,000 Rangers in the U.S. and Canada from 2004 to 2006 to replace the vehicles’ inflators. The recall was announced after the unexpected death of South Carolina resident, 52-year-old Joel Knight in December of 2015. He was driving his 2006 Ranger when his airbag exploded randomly, and not due to a car accident.

In another similar defective airbag incident, Steve Mollohan from Hedgeville, West Virginia died while operating a 2006 Ford Ranger on July 1, 2017 when his airbag exploded. Even after that incident, as of July 28, 2017, only 3.7% of the recalled 2004 to 2006 Rangers in the U.S. had been repaired, according to the NHTSA. Recalls usually have a repair rate of around 75% after 18 months of the recall. Ford has tried everything to reach drivers in this situations and has encouraged drivers of recalled vehicles to get them repaired.

A separate recall was issued in November of 2017, also because of faulty airbags. The NHTSA reported that around 34 million cars are being recalled and 46 million defective airbags could possibly explode and lead to serious injury or death. More airbags are scheduled to be recalled by December of 2019, bringing the total number of recalls to around 60-75 million. Of those recalled, only 43% of the airbags have been repaired. If you currently drive a Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler Trucks North America (Sterling Bullet), Daimler Vans USA LLC (Sprinter), Dodge/Ram, Ferrari, Fisker, Ford, GMC, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, McLaren, Mercedes Benz, Mercury, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Scion , Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, or Volkswagen, use the Recalls Lookup Tool to see if your car has been recalled. Ford has also said that loaner cars will be available to those who need them and repairs will be completed free of charge.

There are many cars out there that have been recalled, but not yet repaired. Drivers shouldn't hesitate in getting their cars fixed. It's better to be safe, than sorry and risk getting into a car accident or other type of dangerous situation.

Every year many companies issue recalls to improve equipment or to implement safety measures. Ignoring recalls may lead to injuries, for example in the event that a vehicle's problem leads to motor vehicle accident. If you or someone you know has been involved in a motor vehicle accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM, for a free consultation.

]]>A Healthy Economy Can Cause Traffic Accident DeathsShama ParekhSat, 07 Apr 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/2/16/a-healthy-economy-and-distracted-driving-cause-traffic-deaths54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a86ec19c830255b604f236eThe Detroit Free Press reported that traffic accident deaths have decreased last year after a 2-year spike in deaths. They do caution however, that it's not time for celebration just yet. The National Safety Council (NSC) estimated that 40,100 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2017, which is down just under 1% from the 2016 total of 40,327. The NSC also said that it’s too early to tell if the decline in traffic deaths will continue to decrease, because the previous two years saw spikes in traffic accident deaths. Between 2014 and 2015, traffic accidents increased by 7%, making it the steepest increase in fatalities in the last 50 years. Before 2016, yearly traffic deaths had not yet reached 40,000. So, why the sudden increase in traffic deaths?

Forbes.com reported that 2009-2012 were the worst 5 years of the US economy since the Great Depression. In December of 2012, the number of people employed declined by 3 million people. That means that between those 5 years, 3 million fewer people were working and fewer people were driving on the roads to and from work. Having fewer people driving on the road caused the number of traffic deaths to decrease to the lowest deaths per year. Supporting this is NSC data which shows that the lowest traffic accident deaths per year occurred in 2011 with 32,000 deaths.

Following 2012, the economy started to get better and more people were employed. While a rise in employment is great news for the economy and the employed individuals, more people began driving more miles, which caused the spike in traffic accident deaths. As the economy recovered people began driving more often by going out on weekends, driving down unfamiliar roads, and driving longer distances, and while driving engaged in distracted driving behaviors.

The recovering economy explains why there are more people on the roads, which also explains the increase in traffic deaths. The more people driving the more risk of car accidents. So what is the explanation for distracted driving being a factor in traffic deaths? Fortune.com called distracted driving a new “epidemic.” One cause for the distracted driving epidemic is cell phones. Fortune mentions that in a survey of 2,300 people about their driving habits, 56% of people admitted to using their cell phones while driving. They also reported that for every 11 miles driven, the average person is on their phone for 0.4 miles of the drive. It doesn’t seem like a lot of distance or that it could be very dangerous, but using a cell phone while driving is dangerous. Looking away from the road for any amount of time may lead to a distracted driving car accident.

Touch screens inside car interiors are also a new driving distraction. A majority of new cars come with a touch screens instead of button and knobs. While the touch screen is a technological upgrade, it also requires users to look at the screen to select options, which makes it a big distraction. Although volume knobs and scanner buttons are also encourage distracted driving among other driving problems, they are a lesser evil because many people can reach out for these button without looking away from the road. In cases of a touch screen though, it's always safer to have passengers change settings in the car or to use voice activated commands, if a newer car has them. And if a vehicle has voice commands, it likely has Bluetooth, which helps avoid having to use cell phones to text or make calls, while driving. So, there are some new car technologies can prevent drivers from getting into distracted driving car crashes. Hopefully, these advancements along with a hopefully healthy economy will allow 2018 to continue the decline in traffic deaths!

As much as everyone loves staying home and ordering everything they need on Amazon with 2 day shipping, we can't avoid driving because of the risk of getting in a car accident. Instead, we should do our best to minimize the risk of car accidents by not engaging in distracted driving behaviors like using cell phones while driving. If you or someone you know has been involved in a car accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC to speak to an experienced car accident attorney. For a free legal consulataion, dial 844.4MI.FIRM.

A new study published in Forbes raises concerns about how much knowledge drivers have when it comes to drugged driving. A recent study regarding teens and marijuana use found that one-third of teens think it’s legal to drive while under the influence of marijuana in states where marijuana is legalized. While this could be written off as teenage ignorance, 27% of parents surveyed thought the same thing. To be clear, it is absolutely not legal to drive after consuming marijuana.

2,800 teenagers and 1,000 parents were surveyed and the results of the study highlight a common phenomenon that can be seen across the United States - drivers are well aware of the dangers that come with drunk driving, but the consequences of drugged driving are much less clear. Driving after consuming drugs just isn’t seen as being as dangerous as drunk driving! 88% of teens said driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous, but only 63% said the same of marijuana. The surveyed parents rendered similar results, with 93% recognizing the dangers of alcohol, but only 76% recognized the dangers of marijuana.

While drivers may not be as informed about the dangers of drugged driving, they are still very real. According to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA), 43% of fatally injured drivers in 2015 tested positive for drugs. This is higher than the 37% of fatally injured drivers found to have alcohol in their system. Of those drugged drivers, 35.6% tested positive for marijuana. According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in 2016, 11.8 million people aged 16 or older drove under the influence of illicit drugs. Men were found more likely to drive under the influence of drugs than women, and drivers ages 18-25 were more likely to drive drugged than drivers 26 and older.

Marijuana, in particular, can slow reaction time, impair judgement of time and distance, and decrease coordination, which is why driving under the influence or marijuana risks car accidents. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, driving under the influence of marijuana can also lead to lane weaving and altered attention to the road. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) shows that 2015 saw a 47% rise in the number of drivers testing positive for marijuana. Driving while under the influence of marijuana increases the driver’s chances of being involved in a car accident by 25%.

While it is clear that drugged driving is an issue, it is also clear that much more research is still needed. The NHTSA admits that they, “still have much to learn about how illegal drugs and prescription medicines affect highway safety.” This is likely because of how difficult it is to gather data on drugged driving accidents. Currently, there is no good road side test (such as a breathalyzer) for drug use. (Michigan even tried to implement a roadside drug testing pilot last year, but progress has been delayed.) On top of that, there are hundreds of drugs that drivers could be using, and they all vary in how much they impair the driver and how likely they are to cause a car crash. It is also common to find that drivers have consumed a combination of different drugs and alcohol, making testing difficult. Often, police won’t even test for drugs if the driver’s BAC has already been found to be over the legal limit. All of this means that further research and protocols are needed when it comes to collecting data on drugged driving.

Better collection methods and more data are clearly needed in order to fully understand the dangers of drugged driving, but there is more than enough data to know that drugged driving is dangerous. As more states move to legalize marijuana, there could be confusion on this issue when there really shouldn’t be. While using the drug may be legal, driving after using it is not. Like alcohol, marijuana and other drugs, impair the driver, not only putting the driver at risk of a car accident, but also the lives of other people in the car, other people on the road, and innocent bystanders.

Drugged driving is illegal and very dangerous. Driving under the influence puts the driver and others on the road, at risk of being involved in a car crash. If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident due to a driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM, for a free legal consultation.

Ypsilanti, Michigan car accident? We file lawsuits for those who have been injured in car accidents. See if you are eligible for pain and suffering benefits.

]]>Driving With Your Dog In Your Lap May Soon Be IllegalKatie StathulisThu, 05 Apr 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/11/30/driving-with-your-dog-in-your-lap-may-soon-be-illegal54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a20d3bd652deaf7d7bc500fToday, it seems like dogs can come with us everywhere - airplanes, restaurants, malls, etc. We love to take them with us whenever possible, and they are often considered part of the family. They’re man’s best friend! But soon, dogs may not be allowed in the driver’s seat of a car. A newly proposed Michigan law would make it illegal for drivers to operate a vehicle with a dog riding in their lap.

According to Click on Detroit, House Bill 5277 was introduced in the Michigan State House on November 28, 2017 by Detroit Democratic Representative LaTanya Grant. The bill clearly states that, “an individual shall not operate a motor vehicle while a dog is sitting in his or her lap." The only exception would be for cases in which the dog must be in the driver’s lap for medical purposes, and the driver would need to have American Disability Act paperwork to prove that it is necessary.

Should the bill become law, drivers would be fined $100 for their first offense, and $200 for every offense thereafter. Rep. Grant said that, “this is about making sure Michigan drivers are safe. It's just too much going on when a driver really needs to be focused on the road. Two seconds of being distracted can cost lives, it can be very fatal."

Currently, laws regarding dogs, and all animals for that matter, in vehicles, are a bit of a grey area. Michigan State Police spokesperson Shannon Banner told MLive that Michigan legislature currently prohibits transporting an animal in a vehicle, “without providing a secure space, rack, car, crate, or cage, in which livestock may stand, and in which all other animals may stand, turn around, and lie down during transportation." But the definition of what exactly a, “secure space” is, is open to interpretation, and is usually determined on a case by case basis.

Many view the issue of driving with a dog on your lap as a form of distracted driving. The dog could potentially block the driver’s view of windows, and hinder the driver’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle - both of which are actions that could result in a car crash. If this bill passes, it will be the first law in the State of Michigan to directly address driving with a dog in your lap.

In the meantime, laws regarding safe driving still exist. When you get behind the wheel, you are responsible for maintaining safe operation of your vehicle by following proper use of lanes and maintaining control of the vehicle. Both of these driving responsibilities can be hindered by riding with a dog in your lap. In other words, while you cannot currently be ticketed for driving with a dog in your lap, if doing so causes you to practice unsafe driving, you can be ticketed for that.

The proposed bill has been turned over to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for further review. In the meantime, think twice before you let the family pet ride in your lap. It’s likely that having a dog in your lap hinders your driving abilities to some degree. Let the dog ride shotgun, or on the floor, or in the backseat. In fact, make sure the dog is safe in a moving vehicle by using a pet harness that prevents it from getting injured in the event of a car accident. There are plenty of alternatives to having a dog in your lap, and the petting and cuddles can wait until you reach your destination. For more information about pet passenger safety, check out The Michigan Law Firm, PC blog!

Driving with a dog sitting on your lap may encourage distracted driving, and distracted driving can lead to fatal car crashes. If you have been involved in a distracted driving automobile accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Our accident attorneys are highly experinced in helping victims of car accidents identiy and collect any benegits they may be entitled to. For a free legal consultation, call 844.4MI.FIRM.

844.464.3476 Injured in a testing and driving accident? Speak to an accident lawyer now at The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Free consultations

]]>The Michigan Law Firm, PC Ranked "Top 20 Detroit Car Accident Attorneys" 2nd Year in a Row!Joseph MansourWed, 04 Apr 2018 18:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/4/3/the-michigan-law-firm-pc-ranked-top-20-detroit-car-accident-attorneys-2nd-year-in-a-row54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5ac3c6c62b6a28d371d7fb08The Michigan Law Firm, PC has been ranked one of the Top 20 Best Car Accident Attorneys in Detroit, Michigan for the second year in a row! This ranking was announced by Expertise after an extensive review of 241 Detroit law firms. Expertise is an online directory that helps consumers find the best local experts by sifting through many businesses, listing only the experienced professionals who are experts in their area, and connecting them with those who require their expertise. The search for professionals is narrowed down to the nearest state and nearest metropolitan city. Customers can trust the law firm rankings on Expertise because of the thorough vetting process.

Expertise begins by searching through businesses working in a specific field and area. They then eliminate the companies that don’t have enough information about them, that aren’t in good standing with their communities, and that aren’t found to be experts in their area. Expertise then uses five judgement criteria to choose the best of those that passed the initial screening:

reputation

credibility

experience

engagement

professionalism

Finally, Expertise handpicks the top businesses and law firms who got the highest scores and publishes their list so consumers can make informed decisions on which businesses to trust.

The Michigan Law Firm, PC is a fast-paced, modern law firm that focuses on personal injury law, and handles Michigan injury lawsuits and claims across the state, including in, Detroit, Flint, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and even the Upper Peninsula. The Firm offers free consultations, and honest and fair representation. The Michigan Law Firm, PC is known for its stellar client communication as they regularly update clients on their cases and are always a phone call away from addressing a client's concerns. The Firm also uses advanced technology in an effort to provide the the highest quality of legal representation possible. For these reasons, among many others, The Michigan Law Firm, PC was chosen as one of the top 20 car accident attorneys in Metro Detroit, out of 241 other law firms, for the second year in a row! The Firm looks forward to continued success in helping personal injury victims file lawsuits and receive just compensation.

The Michigan Law Firm, PC is a civil litigation firm located in Birmingham, Michigan that handles a variety of personal injury lawsuits, including auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, medical provider cases, dog bites, and slip and falls. Call us for a free consultation today at 844.4MI.FIRM. Our Michigan car accident attorneys are ready to help!

Although all of the above things can be harmful to an unborn baby, another great pregnancy risk that almost all pregnant women take, without even thinking twice, is driving a car! Every year, according to SafeRide4Kids, about 300-5,000 unborn babies die in motor vehicle accidents. Also, the leading cause of miscarriages in the first trimester, is due to car accidents. However, telling a pregnant women to stay inside her house for nine months is unrealistic, because pregnant women work, shop, run errands, and travel, just like all other people.

In fact, according to Census Bureau Data, 66% of women worked while they were pregnant from 2006 to 2008, compared to the 1960s when only 44% of women worked at all during their pregnancies. Furthermore, 82% of women continued to work until less than one month before giving birth.

However, a Canadian study, from 2014, revealed that pregnant women are 42% more likely to get into a car accident than non-pregnant women. This is a serious statistic that clearly outlines that driving while pregnant may be unsafe. Why? Well, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, fatigue and drowsiness can impair a driver’s judgement, as well as slow down their reaction times. Unfortunately, drowsiness and fatigue are two very common symptoms that pregnant women experience. If a person driving a car in front of them brakes suddenly, a fatigued driver may not react in time to slam on their own brakes, to avoid rear-ending the car in front. While all people who drive or ride in vehicles are susceptible of getting into car crashes any time they are on the road, and thereby risk car accident injuries to themselves, it’s the effects of a car crash on an unborn baby that is the cause for concern here.

So what can pregnant women do to decrease the likelihood of getting into a car crash due to fatigue and drowsiness? Well, Dr. Donald Redelmeier, who led the Canadian study said, "We aren't recommending pregnant woman delegate their driving to their husbands...Young adult men are even more dangerous behind the wheel. They have even higher crash rates [than pregnant women]... Obey stop signs. Don't speed. Minimize distractions — standard safe driving habits...That seems like such incredibly banal advice to give. I realize that, but every one of our crashes in the study could have been avoided by a small change in driver behaviors."

Redelmeier also notes that his pregnant patients often ask about the risks of flying and roller coasters, but they don’t ever discuss road safety, despite car accidents being a larger threat to their health.

Though car accidents pose dangers to pregnant women and their unborn children, driving a car isn’t the only way pregnant women can get into car accidents. Pedestrian car accidents also pose a threat to pregnant women. The Michigan Law Firm, PC blog recently covered the tragic pedestrian car crash involving Broadway actress Ruthie Ann Miles. Ms. Miles was walking across a crosswalk in Brooklyn New York after leaving a church service, accompanied by her friend and their respective children, when a driver lost control and hit them. The accident took the lives of Miles’ four-year-old daughter, her friend’s one-year-old son and a nearby male pedestrian. Miles was pregnant at the time of the accident, but fortunately, the baby is reportedly unharmed.

Life is unpredictable and car accidents always happen. Whether they are fatal car accidents or just car crashes that cause a few cuts and bruises, any car crash is even more dangerous to a pregnant woman, and especially to a pregnant woman who may be suffering from fatigue or drowsiness. The Michigan Law Firm, PC understands how devastating car accidents can be. Our attorneys handle legal situations for car accident victims so they can focus on taking care of themselves and their families. For a free legal consultation, call 844.4MI.FIRM.

Springtime has been long awaited, but after it's arrival last Tuesday, many people have mixed feelings. On one hand, the sun stays out later and it gets warmer, much to our pleasure. But on the other hand, allergy season descends upon us. Runny noses and frequent coughing become the norm for the season, and tissue sales increase like Michigan gas prices. These reactions to allergies are quite annoying - but they may also be dangerous.

According to Canadian Pharmacy Meds, allergies, also known as Allergic rhinitis (AR), affect up to 30% of the adult population. However, many people don’t realize the possible dangers that may result from allergies. AR can decrease cognitive functions and can make even daily activities a difficult task. Untreated AR can even reduce driving ability and put the driver and others on the road at risk. Many people don’t usually consider something as commonplace as allergies to be the cause of a car crash, but a study reported in the July blog issue of United Allergy Services stated that many common seasonal allergy symptoms, such as watery eyes, sneezing and fatigue, can significantly impair one's driving ability. A coughing fit or watery eyes while driving could cause the driver’s attention to wander causing a distracted driving car accident.

In the Allergy study, 19 people in the Netherlands were given a nasal spray or a placebo, and then exposed to grass/tree allergens or a placebo. Then they went on a 60-minute driving test with a camera attached to see how often the car veered towards the center lane. In the last 15 minutes of the drive, they were also given a verbal test while driving. As a result, those who weren’t treated for allergies and then exposed to them performed the worst at both the driving test and the verbal test. The participants’ driving was so impaired by allergies that they drove similarly to how someone with a blood alcohol level of 0.03% would drive! To help prevent allergy impaired driving, Canadian Pharmacy Meds recommends obtaining prescribed allergy medication for allergy season, and to start taking the medication before allergy season begins, to avoid suffering from allergy symptoms and potentially causing a car crash. Other ways to avoid the worst of allergy season are as listed:

Tips For Surviving Seasonal Allergies

Keep all windows closed in your home and car to avoid letting in pollen.

Set your air conditioners to re-circulate in your home and vehicle to avoid drawing in outside pollen-rich air.

Limit your outside exposure when pollen counts are the highest. Stay inside between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. on warm and dry mornings, and throughout dry and windy days. The safest time for outdoor activities is immediately after a heavy rainfall.

Minimize contact with people, pets, and things that may bring pollen inside after spending excess time outdoors. Wipe down pets when they enter your home after being outside if you can’t avoid them.

Remove your work clothes and shoes as soon as you get home. Don’t drag allergens throughout your home, where they’ll continue to trigger your symptoms. Take off your shoes outside the door before entering. Throw your clothes in the hamper and change into something else.

Wash bed linens in hot, soapy water once a week.

Avoid line drying your clothes and bedding outdoors when your local pollen count is high.

Shower and shampoo your hair before going to bed to remove pollen and keep it off your bedding.

Gargling with salt water once or twice a day throughout allergy season can ease congestion and soothe a sore or scratchy throat.

Take symptoms seriously.If you feel lousy, rest, go to bed early, or take a sick day. Overexertion will only make you feel worse.

These tips may help those with severe allergies avoid the worst of the symptoms. Many people don’t see how common allergies could be dangerous rather than merely an annoyance. Being cautious and prepared for the upcoming allergy season may aid in avoiding allergy impaired driving and help people avoid an auto accident.

Spring is a time of happiness to many. The sun stays out later, flowers bloom, and warmth returns. Also returning, unfortunately, is allergy season. While suffering from allergies can be irritating, they may also be dangerous in the event that allergies impair driving abilities. If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.

Detroit, Michigan car accident? We file lawsuits for those who have been injured in car accidents. See if you are eligible for pain and suffering benefits.

]]>Dangerous April Fools Day Car Pranks!Josh FreedmanSun, 01 Apr 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/3/30/dangerous-april-fools-day-car-pranks54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5abeadf51ae6cf734d4e7901Today is April Fools’ Day, a day for pranksters to up their game and go wild! Planning pranks can take time and energy, but it is worth the effort when the victim springs the trap and is caught up in the prank. There are many harmless pranks people can pull for April Fools' Day, like scattering toy spiders throughout the house and waiting for an arachnophobia to stumble across them. Or perhaps switching the salt and sugar labels for some extra salty cookies. However, there are some pranks that may go too far and are no longer funny. In fact, they could be dangerous. According to Statistic Brain, about 175 people are injured by an April Fools’ prank each year. That may not seem like a large number, but considering pranks are supposed to be fun, it is far too high.

A viral video from July showed a motorcyclist picking up a mug from the back of a car and returning it to the owner by driving up to her window! While this was done as an act of kindness, the opposite could be done as a prank. An online forum lists several car pranks that could easily go wrong. One trick is to leave a cup with coffee, or other drink, on a person’s car and hope they won’t notice. When they start driving, the cup goes flying and spills all over the car! This doesn’t seem like a big deal, other than possibly making a mess on the car, but the cup could also fall and hit the windshield of the car, or even another car, causing confusion, panic, and possibly a car crash if the surprised driver swerves.

Another prank that most people have heard of, is covering someone’s car in Post-it notes or wrapping it up in saran wrap. These may seem funny at first glance, but another look can reveal car accident dangers. The Post-it prank is more of a painstaking, time-consuming art project, so the “victim” may want to only clear the windshield and drive with the rest of the car still covered. Not only does a colorful Post-it car cause other drivers on the road to be distracted but the Post-its could go flying from the vehicle and hit the other cars, once again causing confusion, panic, and swerving cars to get into a car crash. Wrapping a car in saran wrap on the other hand, makes it difficult for someone to get into their car in case of an emergency. Also, once again, a saran wrapped car may encourage distracted driving behavior from other drivers who see the car and are puzzled or humored by it. It just seems like any pranks concerning a car, though they seem funny, may also be dangerous, because at the very least, they cause distracted driving on the road.

The cinder block prank is another popular car prank posted online, that seems more dangerous than funny. This prank involves someone removing the tires of a car and leaving the car boosted on cinder blocks. Unless the prankster is a professional mechanic, removing tires could possibly damage the car and make it unusable for the foreseeable future. If not done properly, taking parts off of a car may damage the car in a way that makes it unsafe to operate and may even lead to car accidents. Car damage and the associated risk of car accidents, are also a possibility in pranks that involve filling the car up with water by tossing a hose through a partially open car window. If not water, even filling a car up with something like golf balls could cause car accidents, if the balls rush out of the car and into the road or into traffic, when a door is opened.

April Fools' pranks are meant to be funny, enjoyable, and perhaps also embarrassing to those exposed to the prank. They should not make people concerned for their safety, for the safety of their possessions, like their car, or the safety of others not even involved in the joke. Pulling a prank in, on, or around a car should be thoroughly thought out before being put into action, so that it doesn’t lead to permanent car damage or cause car accidents. If you have to cover a car in Post-its, even if it takes a whole day to do so, it’s best to film the victim’s reaction and then help them remove all of the paper before the car is driven. You’ll still get Instagram likes for the victim’s priceless reaction video and you’ll likely avoid any legal trouble you may have risked if you had caused a car accident.

April Fools’ Day can be a very enjoyable holiday. Who doesn’t love the trick gum that snaps at a person’s fingers or squirting water at someone through a flower pin on your lapel? These pranks are small and harmless, however, not all pranks are. Don’t be the person who wraps your best friends car in saran wrap. Setting up a prank in or on someone’s car could cause a car crash, whether it be from distraction or even causing damage to the car. If you or someone you know is injured in a car accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.

]]>Car Accident Severely Injures Broadway Actress And Kills Two Children Shama ParekhSat, 31 Mar 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/3/23/car-accident-severely-injures-broadway-actress-and-kills-two-children54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5ab508760e2e72bd83562757When accidents happen, people often explain them away by saying that, "bad things happens to everyone." This saying is true because everyone in the world is at risk for being involved in a car accident, including celebrities. Celebrities are often forgotten about when it comes to accidents and sometimes it can come as a shock to the public when they are injured. On average, around 3,287 people are killed each day from car related accidents and celebrities have the same chance of being one of those people that everyone else does. One celebrity that was recently involved in a car crash is Ruthie Ann Miles.

Ruthie Ann Miles is a Broadway actress who made her debut in the musical, “The King and I,” which won her a Tony award in 2015. Ruthie was walking across a crosswalk in Brooklyn, New York with one of her friends, Lauren Lew, and both of their children, when a woman lost control of her car and hit them. According to the The Washington Post, Miles’ four-year-old daughter and Lews' one-year-old son were killed in the car crash instantly. Both women and a 46-year-old male pedestrian, who was also hit, were hospitalized for their injuries. Miles was pregnant at the time of the car crash, but thankfully, her unborn baby is unharmed.

The driver of the car was Dorothy Burns, a 44-year-old woman from Staten Island, New York. The Washington Post reported that the woman was sitting at an intersection in Brooklyn when her car began to move forward. According to nearby pedestrians, the car started moving slowly then sped up and struck the victims. A law enforcement official said that Burns was not drunk at the time and has not been charged. USA Today reported that Burns suffers from multiple sclerosis and had a seizure while stopped at a red light, which caused her to lose control of her car. Investigators looked at Burns’ medical records and said that if doctors have never prohibited her from driving, she may not face any charges.

After news broke that Burns suffers from seizures many people were angered that she was able to drive. Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “She should never have been allowed to have been driving a car after what we know of these other violations.” He also said that measures were going to be taken to prevent such car accidents from happening again. “People who get behind the wheel of a car need to understand that they have a weapon in their hands,” de Blasio stated. One thing that Mayor de Blasio is known for is promoting Vision Zero, a traffic safety campaign that is, “committed to helping communities reach their goal of Vision Zero - eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries -while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.”

Vision Zero focuses on reducing traffic accidents in major cities like New York. They believe that making smaller changes in not only major cities, but smaller suburban areas, can have a huge effect on saving the lives of many people in car accidents. Some strategies that they use to implement traffic accident safety are, lowering speed limits, redesigning streets, implementing meaningful behavior change campaigns, and enhancing data-driven traffic enforcement. If these car accident reducing strategies can help large cities like New York, maybe they can help reduce car accidents in Detroit too. The residents of Metro Detroit are used to the non-stop construction anyway, so why not make a few changes with the roads that possibly prevent future car accidents!

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that there are 4,092 pedestrian motor vehicle deaths and 59,000 pedestrian car crash injuries each year. Taking action and making small traffic safety changes, like those Vision Zero implements, can greatly reduce the number of people killed in car accidents each year. Another thing that people should be aware of is their personal health in relation to road safety.Conditions such as seizures, as well as simple issues like not have an up-to-date prescription for glasses, may impair driving. Drivers who are unaware of health issues that impair driving or choose to ignore them, may be putting the lives of innocent people on line, every time they drive. The way to prevent car accidents due to medical conditions is to go to regular checkup with healtcare professionals and to be 100% cleared to opearate a motor vehicle.

Driving safety and road safety are important factors in preventing accidents, but the person driving the car is just as important. By making sure that you are medically cleared to safely operate a motor vehicle, individuals can prevent future car crashes from occurring and saves them from making a call to a car accident attorney. However, car crashes happen every day, for several other, non-medical reasons. If you or someone you know needs more information on how to handle a car accident, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC by calling 844.4MI.FIRM. Our experienced accident attorneys offer free, legal consultations.

Call 844.464.3476. The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC helps those injured in car accidents recover the benefits they are entitled to including pain and suffering compensation. Our accident attorneys are ready to help now!

With yesterday's rain, the snow in Michigan has finally melted! While most Michiganders are rejoicing and excitedly anticipating Spring, they shouldn’t stop worrying just yet. As the temperatures rise, so do the chances of hitting potholes. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) warns that, “Potholes are created when snow and ice melt as part of Michigan's seasonal freeze-thaw cycles. Moisture seeps into the pavement, freezes, expands and thaws, creating a gap in the pavement. As vehicles drive over the gap, the pavement weakens leading to a pothole."

Potholes are as Pure Michigan® as Vernor's® ginger ale! While many understand the usual dangers of potholes, most people just grin and bear it, and drive over potholes. However, potholes are unpredictable and there are still more unexpected dangers lurking in those holes on the road than people realize. Running over a pothole could have many different outcomes. Everyone knows that driving over a pothole can cause a flat tire. Even kicking up debris from the broken asphalt can damage the body of the car or break automotive glass. It’s also well known that swerving to avoid a pothole can potentially lead to being involved in a car accident, if the driver over-corrects into the next lane or into oncoming traffic.

However, one other danger of potholes that even many veterans of Michigan’s roads may not know is that debris can be swept up by vehicles and released with enough force to land on the cars behind them. Concrete or asphalt can plummet onto innocent drivers who haven’t even touched the pothole! This happened to a woman who was driving westbound on I-696, on January 31, 2018, when a piece of concrete crashed through her windshield as she was heading to work, Fox News reported. Luckily, the woman was uninjured, as the piece of concrete sat in her passenger seat, and she was able to pull over at the next exit. This was the second time in January that concrete had hit a windshield on the expressway.

Not as lucky was another woman who also driving westbound on I-696 last May, according to Fox News, when a piece of concrete smashed through her windshield, hitting her directly in the head. The head injury caused a car crash because the woman lost consciousness and thereby control of her car and hit the vehicle next to her.

Both of these car accidents did not occur underneath an underpass-a more likely location for such accidents, as concrete tends to fall down and hit cars driving underneath. Both motor vehicle accidents occurred because cars in front of these ladies’ cars swept up debris and tossed it back on to them with tremendous enough force to go straight through their windshields.

According to The Detroit News, MDOT spokesperson Diane Cross confirmed that these debris car accidents were due to potholes when she said, “The roads are crumbling and chances are any concrete came from there.”

With so many pothole-corrupted, crumbling roads in Michigan, flying asphalt breaking windshields isn’t the only vehicle damage to worry about. Firestone Tires reports that there are many other types of pothole vehicle damages, such as:

Vehicle Damage Caused By Potholes

Tire puncture, damage or wear.

Wheel rim damage.

Premature wear on shocks and struts.

Suspension damage, including broken components.

Steering system misalignment.

Exhaust system damage.

Engine damage.

All of these types of vehicle damage due to potholes, not only put drivers in danger of being involved in a car crash, but also in danger of emptying out wallets. Vehicle repair is expensive enough that Michiganders would have to be prepared to hand over money saved for Tigers Opening Day tickets, to an auto body shop! If catching the game on TV sounds disappointing however, drivers may able to save money on potential pothole related car repairs by following tips given by Michigan.gov, on how drivers can avoid potholes, or what to do if you have no choice but to drive over a pothole.

How To Drive Over Potholes With Minimal Car Damage

Potholes aren't always obvious enough to spot in the daylight and they're even harder to spot in the dark. Make sure your headlights are working and your windshield is clear.

Be extra cautious around puddles - they could be potholes filled with water. Since water is a critical component to forming potholes, that puddle may be at work creating one as you drive through it.

Keep a firm grip on your steering wheel as potholes can cause your vehicle to change direction suddenly. Don't swerve into an occupied lane. No one wants pothole damage to escalate to an auto collision causing further damage or injury.

Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Over-inflated and under-inflated tires fare worse when they tangle with a pothole. Tires showing excessive wear or bulges in the sidewalls won't hold up as well to potholes either.

If you see a pothole ahead and can't safely steer to avoid it, it's best to slow down, then release the brakes before you hit the pothole. This helps to reduce the speed at impact as well as give your suspension the full range of travel to absorb the impact. If you can't avoid the pothole, straighten your wheel to hit it squarely and roll through. Hitting a pothole at an angle can transfer the energy of impact in ways more likely to damage your vehicle.

Have your vehicle's suspension and steering components checked out by a qualified mechanic. Steering that is in good condition and responsive can help you avoid hitting potholes. Remember that shocks, struts and springs in good shape help cushion the blow.

Trying to avoiding a pothole can sometimes be impossible and extremely dangerous. While these tips may help prevent most pothole car accidents, no number of precautions can guarantee that road damage related car crashes won’t occur. As Lieutenant Michael Shaw of the Michigan State Police stated in relation to one particular pothole debris car accident, “When something happens that fast, there’s nothing to do.”

Potholes can lead to expensive vehicle damage, dangerous car accidents, and even serious car crash injuries. If you or someone you know has been involved in a motor accident due to potholes or unsafe road conditions, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC. Contact us at 844.4MI.FIRM today, for a free consultation with an experienced accident attorney.

]]>Life With A TBIShama ParekhThu, 29 Mar 2018 13:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/3/16/life-with-a-tbi54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5aabc94faa4a99d8cbfea229Brain injury Awareness Month is recognized every March by The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) to raise awareness for brain injuries, the severity of brain injuries, and also the toll brain injuries take on the entire family of a person with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The BIAA leads the country in spreading awareness on how TBIs affect a person's life and how completing even the smallest tasks can be a struggle. The BIAA’s mission is very important, since according to their research, every 9 seconds, someone in the United States sustains a brain injury. Thanks to the efforts of organizations like the BIAA, in part with TBIs becoming part of everyday conversation due to press like the NFL head injury scandal, knowledge on TBIs is increasing and TBIs are being discussed more often. One example of TBIs gaining national attention is their use as plot points in TV shows.

One show that is incorporating TBIs is The Fosters, a popular show that airs on FreeForm. During the show's latest season, one of the characters, 16-year-old Jesus, was involved in an accident and was knocked unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital and ended up in a medically induced coma. It was later revealed that he suffered from a (TBI). The show documented Jesus’ fight with his TBI through multiple rehab centers and through the transition of returning home. The Fosters gives a perfect example of the struggles someone who has sustained a TBI faces. This depiction, though fictional, is in line with the same awareness that the BIAA is trying to raise on the difficulties of TBIs. Giving a character a TBI on the show was not only a major plot twist, but it also educated the show’s demographic of people aged 12-34, who might not have previously known what traumatic brain injuries are.

Although The Fosters is a fictional show, accidents like Jesus’ happen all the time in real life. One real life person living with a TBI is 13-year-old Paul. BrainLine, a national multimedia project that offers information and resources to help people prevent, treat, and live with a TBI, discuss Paul’s story on their blog. Paul was once just like any other kid his age who enjoyed spending time with his family and playing sports outside with his friends. Paul’s whole world was turned upside down after an afternoon of bike riding turned into a car accident. Paul was immediately taken to the hospital following the car crash but was left with life changing injuries. While his TBI wasn’t diagnosed at the ER, TBI symptoms manifested while he was still admitted to the hospital due to car accident injuries. Paul was soon diagnosed with a TBI that left him immobile and in a vegetative state. His recovery was very slow and he fought hard to accomplish things that most people do without even realizing it, like lifting his eyelids, moving a finger, or saying a word. After spending many months in the ICU, Paul was transferred into a TBI rehabilitation hospital. While in the rehabilitation hospital, Paul had to learn how to walk, talk, and do simple everyday tasks all over again.

After a long journey in the rehabilitation hospital, Paul was finally able to return home with his family. However, the problems stemming from the car crash TBI weren’t over yet, and Paul’s journey was nowhere near finished. Even after leaving the rehabilitation hospital Paul was still dependent on a wheelchair and walker. His parents still had to assist him with everyday tasks including self care, such as dressing and bathing. The stress level in the house was extremely high, according to Paul’s mom. Paul’s siblings struggled to get used to what they referred to as their “new” brother. Other than the stress of dealing with the TBI itself, Paul’s parents felt very guilty that all of their time was put toward taking care of Paul, and felt like they were neglecting their other children. Eventually, Paul’s parents knew they needed help balancing everyday life and taking care of Paul, so they asked for help whenever they needed it. Paul’s mom said regarding taking care of Paul and his TBI,

“The care giving was both never ending and exhausting. We had to recognize our own limitations, shed any guilt, and ask for help from our community, friends, and family.”

As years passed Paul continued to improve and was eventually able to return to school, but couldn’t do it on his own. BrainLine says that according to his parents, “Paul needed an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) geared toward his specific needs. He underwent a neurophysiology examination, which is concerned with the relationships between brain function and behavior and considers how injury may affect learning, communication, planning, organization, and relationships with others.” A personal aid was offered to Paul by his school to help him keep up with all the other students. He was also given a personal laptop to do assignments on. Graduating high school was a huge accomplishment for Paul, but was only the beginning to many other hard challenges.

Getting a job and figuring out what he wanted to do after high school was another difficult decision Paul and his parents had to make. Even though Paul had made tremendous improvements, he was still not the same person he was before the car crash. He walks off-balance, his voice is slow and monotone, and he is slightly slower to process information, to form a thought, or to respond to a question. Paul eventually got a job after high school and worked at a local retail store where he started as a greeter, moved up to sales clerk, and then cashier. Ten years after his accident, at the age of 23, Paul is now attending Lesley University where he is studying the Threshold Program in Boston and is living independently. He also volunteers at the hospital that took care of him and speaks about TBIs and the importance of bike and car safety.

Stories like Paul's show that traumatic brain injuries don’t just affect the live of the person suffering from brain trauma, but that a TBI leaves everyone in the family changed for the rest of their lives as well. Paul’s mom shared,

“Despite all the miraculous gains my son has made over the years, my heart often remains heavy. When I look into my husband’s or my children’s eyes, I can still see the lingering fear, the permanent scars.”

Hospitals and the sounds of ambulances have permanently scarred Paul’s parents and siblings. Paul’s mother continued,

“the sound of an ambulance or the sight of a hospital can evoke tears as we relive and experience flashbacks to that unthinkable day of the accident.”

To help people cope with the ways TBIs can disrupt a family’s life, the BIAA offers webinars that people can watch online to educate themselves on all topics related to traumatic brain injuries. Some such topics include up-to-date TBI research, possible TBI treatment options, TBI rehabilitation, and how families can learn to manage living with someone has a TBI.

Whether you are riding a bike or driving a car, you may be at risk of sustaining a TBI. Being knowledgeable about what traumatic brain injuries are and how they affect individuals and families may result in people taking more caution while engaging in physical activities or even driving, in order to prevent traumatic brain injuries from occurring. Traumatic brain injuries like many other car accident injuries not only harm the victim’s health but oftentimes bring up legal burdens for the injured person and their family as well. Our lawyers are experienced in helping families who are struggling with brain trauma handle their legal problems while they focus on their recovery. Call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM to meet with a car accident TBI attorney for a free consultation.

]]>Oberon Release Day Is Here!Josh FreedmanTue, 27 Mar 2018 02:00:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/3/26/oberon-release-day-is-here54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5ab9a3de575d1f042122291cSome people call it the taste of spring, but most just call it Oberon. For those who have not been exposed to the delicious beer, Oberon is a beer made by Bell’s Brewery of Kalamazoo that is a mix of wheat and wild fruity aromas. This beer is a Michigan staple that has been making its way around the country and creating an enthusiastic fanbase. It is set to hit shelves and local bars again, today on March 26! Because Oberon is a seasonal beer, that is only on the shelves and bar taps for six months in the State of Michigan, people around the country and Oberon celebrate the day Oberon is released as a holiday!

Oberon celebrates Oberon Day with festivities at local breweries that sell their beer, which include locations in Ann Arbor, Bay City, East Lansing, and Kalamazoo. Oberon fans will be delighted with the bountiful pub crawls that will be taking place to celebrate Oberon Day. Oberon Day isn’t a night time event either. These events, pub crawls, and festivities will be taking place all day. Ann Arbor’s pub crawl starts at 11AM, and the last bar on the list is at 8:30PM. Where in Kalamazoo, at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, their celebration starts at 9AM for fans who are ecstatic to drink the seasonal brew.

Laura Bell, CEO of Bell’s Brewery said, "We will continue to push the boundaries and celebrate what makes Bell's unique and innovative. As with this year's release calendar, we still reserve the right to announce a few surprises here and there."

This is indeed a big year for Bell’s Brewery, as they plan to release four new beers throughout the year. The first of the lineup is Road to Hell, which will be released in July, followed by Hell Hath No Fury in September, Sympathy for the Devil in November, and a re-release of Sparkleberry Ale which is a fan favorite ever since it debuted at Kalamazoo Pride in 2013. It’s a Belgian-style Tripel brewed with raspberries, and will be released in June.

While many may be excited to take part in the Oberon Day festivities, it’s important to remember to drink responsibly. Drinking all day and into the night can severely impair anyone’s judgement. As such, those who are celebrating Oberon Day should take measures to ensure that they won’t be drinking and driving. Oberon Day is an event people greatly look forward to every year and driving under the influence and causing a car accident may have people celebrating next Oberon Day behind bars.

Drunk Driving car accidents can lead to serious injuries and even death. The Michigan Law Firm, PC specializes in cases that involve all types of motor vehicle accidents. If you or anyone you know has been involved in a car crash, please contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC by calling 844.4MI.FIRM today for a free consultation.

With the weather getting warmer, children will be spending more time outside, enjoying some of their favorite sports like football, soccer, and basketball. Kids love sports! It teaches them teamwork and planning strategies, and helps build friendships. And as much as kids like sports, teenagers love learning to drive and aim to receive independence from their parents via a driver’s license. This summer teens will be putting their pedals to the metal and test driving their new skills. So, since the spring and summer are so much fun for children of all ages, everyone should also be wary of the dangers that blows to the head in tackle sports and car crashes can have on children. Children from the ages of 0 to 19 have a greater risk for brain injuries than any other age, according to The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA).

According to Forbes, “[Of the}More than 55,000 teenage drivers and their passengers who were seriously injured in auto accidents during 2009 and 2010, 30 percent suffered acute head injuries, including concussions, skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries.”

Since playing sports and getting into car accidents are leading factors for traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in children, parents should keep an eye on their children's behavior in case of head injury. The BIAA gives the following brain injury symptoms that parents should look out for that could impair a child’s physical, cognitive, and emotional being.

Symptoms of Child Brain Injuries

PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENTS

COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS

EMOTIONAL IMPAIRMENTS

speech

short term memory deficits

mood swings

vision

impaired concentration

denial

hearing

slowness of thinking

self-centeredness

headaches

limited attention span

anxiety

motor coordination

impairments of perception

depression

spasticity of muscles

communication skills

lowered self-esteem

paresis or paralysis

planning

sexual dysfunction

seizure disorders

writing

restlessness

balance

reading

lack of motivation

fatigue

judgment

difficulty controlling emotions

Brain injuries can affect a child in multiple ways, as shown in the above brain injury symptoms chart. Collectively, these TBI symptoms can affect a child’s school work, social life, and general way of life. And since the recent news about the NFL concussion scandals, TBIs have become household dinner table talk. All of the negative TBI press has caused parents to become more involved in their children’s physical activities and become reluctant to let their children play sports or learn how to drive. While it’s disheartening to kids to have their parents deny their enrollment in football camp, these parents may be making the right choice. After all, “Each year an average of 62,000 children sustain brain injuries requiring hospitalization as a result of motor vehicle crashes, falls, sports injuries, physical abuse and other causes. A staggering 564,000 children are seen in hospital emergency departments for brain injury and released,” the BIAA reports. And according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), “Sports and recreational activities contribute to about 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among American children and adolescents.”

Brain injuries happen, and they are an injury that nobody expects could happen to them. But for children with brain injuries, it’s even worse. The BIAA reports that, “The brain of a child is continuing to develop. The assumption used to be a child with a brain injury would recover better than an adult because there was more “plasticity” in a younger brain, but recent research has shown that this is not the case. A brain injury actually has a more devastating impact on a child than an injury of the same severity on a mature adult.” This is why brain trauma is a topic that needs to be discussed more often and more openly by the public. The BIAA leads the charge in continuing the conversation on brain trauma during the month of March, which is Brain Injury Awareness month. While brain injury experts are studying how to heal traumatic brain injuries, it may be a while until a surefire treatment is created. Until then, since we can't bubble wrap children and forbid them to leave the house, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides the following tips to help prevent brain injury accidents from occurring.

How to Prevent Brain Injuries In Children

1. Buckling your child in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt (according to the child's height, weight, and age).

2. Wearing a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle.

Installing window guards to keep young children from falling out of open windows; and

Using safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs when young children are around.

Making sure the surface on your child's playground is made of shock-absorbing material, such as hardwood mulch or sand.

While the CDC's 5th tip may be for senior citizens, some of this advice may also be applicable to children. Plenty of children have fallen while running up and down the stairs without using handrails and many have tripped over a rug and hit their head. Vigorous play with toys used to entice children to take baths have also led to slip and fall accidents in the bath tub.

The fact of the matter is that children always face the risk of traumatic brain injuries because most children are physically active. By monitoring a child or teenager's physical, cognitive, and emotional behaviors following a head injury, parents can help their children immediately receive any medical attention they may need.

Summer fun like playing sports or taking road trips may lead to brain injury accidents. After all, sports and motor vehicle accidents are some of the leading factors for brain injuries in children and teens. If you or anyone you is suffering from a traumatic brain injury or any car accident injury, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC by calling 844.4MI.FIRM today. Our brain injury lawyers are available for a free legal consultation.

St. Patrick’s day is just around the corner, and that means that one of the biggest drinking nights of the year is coming up full throttle. Local bars are pulling out their shamrock decorations, putting together Celtic music playlists, and cooking up corned beef and cabbage to go along with the green beer they plan to serve.

St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that many people have forgotten the cultural and religious significance of and have instead turned into one of the most popular drinking holidays in America. Between pub crawls, green beer drinking competitions, and Irish car bomb challenges, people of all ages spend St. Patrick’s Day drinking so heavily that they may not remember the celebration the next morning. This enormous amount of drinking that makes St. Patrick’s so fun is also exactly what makes it dangerous for everyone, due to the prevalence of drunk driving car accidents.

Now, this doesn’t mean that St. Paddy’s should not be celebrated. After all, there are many family friendly celebrations including Corktown’s Detroit St. Patrick’s Day Parade. However, the danger of St. Patrick’s Day drunk driving accidents implies that safety should be of concern. The State of Michigan reports that, “In 2015, law enforcement officers arrested more than 32,000 Michigan motorists for drunk driving.” They also mentioned that during the peak ‘party hours’ between midnight and 5:59 AM on March 18, 2014, the day after St. Patrick’s Day, nearly half of the car accidents fatalities involved drunk drivers. The report also said that “from 2014 to 2015, fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes increased by 3.2 percent in the U.S.”

With the increase of fatalities due to alcohol-impaired driving crashes, the State of Michigan also says, “Drunk driving kills more than 10,000 people each year in the U.S., and every single one of those deaths is preventable.” Drunk driving is a choice. It’s a choice that could end up killing or harming innocent people on the roads. Following some of the tips below, provided by the the State of Michigan, could help prevent many avoidable drunk driving car accidents this St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day Drunk Driving Safety Tips

Before celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year, decide whether you’ll drink or you’ll drive. You can’t do both.

Designate a sober, reliable driver to get you home safely from the party.

If you’re planning on driving, commit to staying sober.

These simple drunk driving safety planning tips may seem like common sense, but many people are excited about partying and enjoying the holiday and aren’t thinking about becoming involved in a drunk driving accident, let alone causing a drunk driving car crash. Some people don’t expect to drink as much as they do, or some people lose track of how many drinks they have had. Other people don’t know just how blurred their vision is until they are on the road. Planning before going out to party the holiday away is a smart and effective way to reduce the number of drunk driving car crashes. Designating a sober driver or finding another method of transportation like an Uber or Lyft, only takes a couple of minutes. And what’s a few minutes when lives are at stake? In line with the the State of Michigan, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) suggests keeping the following tips in mind on Saint Patrick’s Day, to potentially prevent drinking and driving car crashes.

How to Avoid St. Patrick's Day Drunk Driving

Designate your sober driver or have an alternate transportation plan before the party begins.

If you don't have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend, or family member to come and get you; or just stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.

Use your community's sober ride program.

Never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive and have had too much to drink.

Always buckle up – it's still your best defense against other drunk drivers.

Armed with an “it won’t happen to me” mentality, people seem more fearless today than they have ever been. However, people should always still be prepared for dangerous situations such as car crashes and do what they can to prevent them. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) says that in the state of Michigan, 236 people are killed annually due to drunk driving car accidents, and according to BACtrack, the average Saint Patrick Day’s blood alcohol content rings in at 0.126 at midnight, which means that more people are staying out later and drinking, which could lead to more drunk driving car crashes during the peak hours. Michigan considers a drunk driver with a 0.08 or higher blood alcohol content. So anyone may find themselves drunk driving or affected by drunk driving, without even knowing what their blood alcohol content is. By taking drunk driving precautions like those advised by the The State of Michigan and the NHTSA, especially if driving during those St. Patrick’s Day peak hours from 12 AM to 5:59 AM, people can make sure their night stays fun and doesn’t get ruined by a potential stint in prison and a lifetime of dealing with drunk driving lawyers.

Saint Patrick’s Day is one of the biggest drinking nights of the year, which causes many drunk driving accidents. Drunk driving accidents are completely preventable but unfortunately, they still happen. Drunk driving accident deaths and drunk driving car crash injuries can be very serious and can pull families into legal nightmares. If you or anyone you know have been in a car accident involving a drunk driver, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC by calling 844.4MI.FIRM. Our drunk driving car accident attorneys can give you a free consultation today.

]]>Drowsy Driving Dangers During Daylight Saving TimeJoseph MansourFri, 09 Mar 2018 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2018/3/6/drowsy-driving-dangers-during-daylight-saving-time54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a9edd7853450a1deea52585Daylight Saving Time (DST) is coming up this upcoming Sunday, March 11, 2018. Unfortunately, the hour we will be losing as we “spring forward,” is an unpleasant experience. Many people wake up thinking they have more time because of the lack of light outside, only to remember that DST just occurred and they need to get up immediately, in order to make it to work on time. Beginning our day an hour earlier may be annoying but it can also be dangerous. The sun comes up later in the day, causing the morning commute to be darker and proving drivers with less visibility than they are used to. People may become exhausted as they begin their day an hour early and may get onto the road with heavy eyes and sleep-deprived minds. A tired and dark morning are two factors that can lead to car accidents.

According to The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), our society is chronically sleep deprived, and the hour change after DST does not help with that. Both “spring ahead” and “fall back” are equivalent to the jet lag that occurs when traveling to a different time zone, and even an hour can make a massive difference in energy. These changes tinker with our sleep cycle and it may take at least 5 days for our bodies to get accustomed to them. During those 5 days, the road will have inattentive, drowsy drivers with drooping eyes, who will be waking an hour earlier than they are used to, in order to get to work or school on time.

Drowsy driving due to DST afflicts so many people that a Johns Hopkins Hospital and Standford University study from 1999 reported that the Monday after “spring forward” resulted in an average increase in car accidents, jumping from the average of 72.8% rate of a usual Monday to 83.5% the Monday after DST. That is a 10.7% increase on the Monday after spring DST, which is a shocking increase in car accidents in one day every year!

Along the lines of NEJM's findings, Richard P. Allen, a Johns Hopkins neurologist who oversaw the study, told Vox, "We didn’t expect to see anything, actually. To me it was really amazing that one hour made that difference." According to Vox, "Allen stresses that a one-hour sleep disruption will be more severe for someone who is already sleep-deprived. "A lot of these accidents occur because we don't have residual sleep [reserves] to survive that insult," he says. "When we're running nearly empty on our sleep-wake status, it doesn't take much to push it into a negative area."

Another study by the University of Colorado Boulder also confirmed DST’s role in the rise of motor vehicle accidents, when it reported that in the first six days after DST, there were 302 motor vehicle accident deaths in 2007. The Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) also found a 17% increase in traffic accidents the Monday after losing an hour, because of DST in 2007. These newer statistics means that there has been a 6.3% increase in the number of DST car crashes, since the study conducted by Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1999. These results show the significant difference that losing an hour sleep can make to our driving, before our bodies become accustomed to the time change, and how the percentage of DST car accidents may be increasing over time.

Luckily, the Johns Hopkins and Stanford study also showed that by the end of the week after DST, the number of car accidents settled back to nearly the usual number of car crashes as the Monday before DST occurred. Perhaps this is because drivers have had the 5 days they needed to get adjusted to their new sleep cycles, and therefore were attentive enough to avoid car accidents.

People who are especially vulnerable to the changing sleep cycle during DST are those who get 6 or less hours of sleep. They are already sleep deprived and losing an additional hour of sleep due to DST can make a bigger difference in these peoples’ abilities to drive safely. What we can take away from these DST car accident studies according to Vox is that, "even small decreases in our sleep times can stress our bodies. And good sleep increasingly is seen as a subtle yet critical component of our health...To prepare for a rough Monday after the clock change, it's a good idea to get enough sleep in the days leading up to it." It's better to get catch some extra z's than to chug coffee and cause car accidents!

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Michigan car crash, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation. Our Michigan personal injury lawyers are ready to talk to you about your claims.

These numbers are staggering. And yet, much of the public is undereducated on the topic of brain injuries.

Well, those who want to learn more about brain injuries are in luck since March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), which is an organization created specifically to speak about and spread awareness of brain injuries, annually leads the nation in commemorating Brain Injury Awareness Month by creating brain injury awareness campaigns. Thethe theme for 2018 - 2020 is "Change Your Mind."

#ChangeYourMind informs the public about what brain injuries are, the prevalence of brain injuries, and of the needs of people with brain injuries as well as their families’ needs. The BIAA also works with the brain injury community to “de-stigmatize the injury, empower those who have survived, and promote the many types of support that are available.” The BIAA’s campaign and general brain injury advocacy are necessary to the advancement of science and the human understanding of the most mysterious organ, the brain. The more awareness there is around a subject, the more the public’s thirst for knowledge increases, and subsequently more research is performed to find answers and solutions to the problem millions are facing.

Source: BIAA

In the past, the lack of general knowledge on the seriousness of brain injuries and brain injury treatments caused confusion to those who suffered from TBIs. Brain injuries affect day to day living, various social interactions, and short term and long term health. One man who was involved in a head-on car collision shared his TBI story on the BIAA’s website. He suffered a Diffuse Axonal TBI from his car accident and was in a 32 day coma. A Diffuse Axonal TBI occurs when the brain’s long connecting nerve fibers tear when the brain rotates inside the skull. In his own words, “This all took place at a time when very few would survive something like this. Of the 3 people involved, I am the only one who survived. I feel that I was spared for a reason at a time when computers were just a great fantasy, and I was expected to go on in life as if nothing was wrong. By about the 4th termination from employment I began to realize that I wasn’t as ‘fine’ as I was told, BUT, I signed off on the claim in the judge’s chambers in 1977 so there was no way to prove anything until 35 years later I showed a job history which reads like a phone book.”

While not everyone is affected by brain injuries, anyone is susceptible to enduring one, since humans are a very active bunch. From taking a blow to the head in football, to slipping and knocking the noggin on an icy sidewalk, to loss of blood flow to the brain following a brain hemorrhage, there are many ways to fall prey to TBIs. And roughly 14.3% of TBIs are actually sustained in motor vehicle accidents. The Michigan Law Firm, PC helps victims of motor vehicle accidents who have suffered from a TBI. This is why our TBI lawyers are always studying up on the latest brain injury recovery breakthroughs and are keeping informed on the topic of neurocognitive deficits. Our law firm seeks to stay as knowledgeable on brain trauma as possible, so we can better advocate for our car accident clients, which is why we are proud members of the Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI), a BIAA affiliate.

As active members of BIAMI, The Michigan Law Firm, PC, regularly takes part in BIAMI events. Most notably, we attended the 2017 BIAMI Legal Conference in order to keep updated on and participate in discussions on the legal implications of brain injuries and other closed head injuries as a result of a car crash. In an effort to better support those who have sustained brain injuries, support the research into brain injury therapies, and to learn about new brain injury therapy protocols and diagnostic tests for TBI patients, the firm continues to be an active member of BIAMI. Our brain injury accident attorneys want to be involved in the conversation regarding the rights of treating providers including, but not limited to, neurologists, neuropsychiatrists, therapists, and other brain injury rehabilitation professionals. Most importantly, The Michigan Law Firm, PC wants to help BIAMI and BIAA increase awareness of brain injuries and help advance the world’s understanding of and immediate treatment of brain injuries.

Today is one of the most romantic days of the year - Valentine’s Day! In case you didn’t remember, it’s not too late to buy that box of chocolate or grab a bouquet of flowers. For those who did remember, I’m sure many loved ones are in for a wonderful and romantic dinner. Some restaurants even offer special menus that pair special Valentine’s dishes with the perfect corresponding alcohol to enhance the romantic dining experience. Whether dining at the most popular restaurant in town with a three month waiting list or proclaiming love over chicken wonton tacos at Applebees, most lovebirds will be toasting their love with alcohol! To many people, Valentine’s Day isn’t being celebrated properly if there isn’t a champagne toast, a fancy cocktail, or a chocolate stout beer involved. In fact, Valentine’s Day is the 3rd highest drinking holiday in America!

That’s right, Screener says that the amount of alcohol consumed on Valentine’s Day is only topped by how much Americans drink on Super Bowl Sunday and New Year’s Eve. And in fourth and fifth place on that list are the 4th of July and Halloween. Screener obtained this information from BACtrack, which is a company that makes breathalyzers to test a person’s blood alcohol content (BAC). BACtrack performed a study in which they gathered over 100,000 anonymous BAC test results from users of BACtrack Mobile, their award winning smartphone breathalyzer. This information was compiled into the BACtrack Consumption Report, which is regularly updated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that about 28 people die daily because of drinking and driving. And that is just any other day. However, as shown by the BACtrack Consumption Report, national alcohol consumption is at its peak over the holidays. There’s nothing wrong with eggnog on Christmas or a candy corn jello shot on Halloween, but it’s when driving is added to holiday drinking that there is an issue.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, about 300 people over the past 5 years died in drunk driving automobile accidents between Christmas and New Year’s alone. Combine this knowledge of holiday drunk driving fatalities with information from a 2017 OpenTable survey which found that 71% of people plan to dine out for Valentine’s Day, and it is reasonable to assume that there will be a marked increase in drunk driving auto accidents today. Many couples will be going out to dinner and enjoying a glass or two of wine with their steak or heart-shaped pizza, only to drive home under the influence of alcohol and risk becoming involved in a drunk driving auto accident. It’s important to note that, according to West Virginia University, even one drink may decrease attention span, limit reflexes, and overall hinder a person’s ability to safely drive.

No one wants their special night ruined because of a drunk driving automobile accident. By not drinking and driving this Valentine’s Day, you can be sure that you are not causing a drunk driving car accident. Just because you’re not drinking and driving though, doesn’t mean that others aren't. Considering how many more people are on the road than usual on Valentine’s Day, and how many of those people have possibly consumed alcohol, it only makes sense that the number of drunk driving car crashes will increase today.

TABC Certification has several suggestions on how to avoid being involved in a drunk driving automobile accident this Valentine’s Day:

How To Avoid Valentine’s Day Drunk Driving Car Accidents

Hire a private car for the evening - Not only is this safer, but it also shows how much you appreciate your partner when you hire a chauffeur for the evening so you can enjoy drinking without guilt.

Stay at a hotel - If you want to avoid driving altogether, consider staying at a hotel with a well-reviewed restaurant. That way, you can drink as much as you want before heading up to your room.

Create a unique night in - Consider staying at home for Valentine’s Day. Send any kids to a babysitter and create your special night in your own home.

Choose your own Valentine’s Day - Valentine’s Day is a busy day for restaurants. Consider celebrating Valentine’s Day on a different day to avoid overcrowded restaurants and overpriced taxi prices.

Abstain from alcohol - Enjoy the night without alcohol. This is easier if both abstain from alcohol for the night.

Another tip, especially for those who want to stick to a budget, is to use the chauffeur services of ride sharing apps like Uber and Lyft. Even public transportation is a good way to avoid drunk driving, especially if your special night involves more than one activity.

Drinking and driving is never safe. Valentine’s Day should be a time to enjoy with your partner and not your drunk driving accident attorney. Stay safe with your significant other on the road this Valentine’s Day by not drinking and driving. If you or a loved one have been the victim of a drunk driving automobile accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

Volvo Trucks Global is taking a step into the future with its new automatic braking system. The company has created a Collision Warning/Early Braking system for its trucks. This development, as detailed in Business Insider, is designed for trucks to brake automatically if they get too close to other vehicles in front of them. A sensor on the front “sees” the road ahead, and brakes the truck on its own, if it gets too close to the car in front of it.

When braking, an alarm sounds and a display light activates on the dashboard, anticipating the truck’s sudden stop. The truck’s back taillights flash like hazards when the automatic braking system is in use, alerting drivers behind the truck, so that drivers behind can avoid a rear end car crash. All this for a truck carrying 40 tons of cargo!

The primary goal of Volvo working to make automated features for semi-trucks is to increase auto safety. Hayder Wokil, Autonomous and Automated Driving Director for Volvo Trucks, said, “We are focused on solutions that can make difficult, repetitive and time-consuming tasks easier for all concerned.” The latest technological improvement will affect other drivers on the road, beyond just the truck drivers. In 2015, almost 64% of fatal crashes involving large trucks also involved two other vehicles, as found in an analysis by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). In other words, other drivers are at risk of injury or death from a semi-truck accident. Developments like automated truck brakes may improve the safety of truck crashes for all drivers.

Worldwide, companies like Volvo are using trucks to minimize harvest damage that human-operated trucks create, utilizing automatic garbage trucks, and enlisting self-driving delivery trucks to bring packages to people’s doorsteps. With so many possibilities for advancement, the automated truck industry will likely see rapid growth in the coming years. It will be exciting to watch consumer fears grow into fascination, as more and more automotive companies focus on turning even the biggest trucks on the road into a safer form of transportation in the near future.

Volvo's automatic braking system for semi-trucks will make stopping suddenly much easier for truck drivers, helping drivers behind them avoid rear end car accidents. If you or someone you know has been involved in a truck accident, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation. Our skilled attorneys can tell you if you are eligible for any compensation under Michigan law.

Headlights are as necessary to driving as they are for providing visual safety on roads. While many over look need for headlights during the day, they are a safety necessity during the night that can help prevent night time car accidents. With shadows dancing on the road and visibility limited to what can only be seen with car headlights, driving in the night can be dangerous. USA TODAY reported on a recent study that found something that may be even more alarming if you often drive at night: only 2 of the 37 mid-size sport-utility vehicles (SUV) offered by the U.S. auto industry have headlight packages that are considered to have “good” performance. This alarming discovery should worry drivers, as poor headlight performance can put motorists and pedestrians in danger on dark roads.

The study is actually an update to one conducted in 2016. It tests 2017's car models gradually, rating headlight performances. The results found that 11 models have “poor” headlights, 12 fall in the “marginal” category, and 12 were found to be “acceptable.” Despite the less than stellar findings, headlights on cars tested in the study have improved since 2016's test, when 12 of 21 models were labeled as having a “poor” performance, with only four having “acceptable” headlights. The only two vehicles with the best headlight performance were the Volvo XC60 and the Hyundai Santa Fe. The vehicles with the worst headlights were the Infiniti QX60, Lincoln MKC, Lincoln MKX, Dodge Journey, Ford Edge, Ford Explorer, GMC Terrain, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, Jeep Wrangler, Kia Sorento, and the Toyota 4Runner.

A senior research engineer for the headlight performance study, Matt Brumbelow, saidthat cars are, “still coming up short, though things are improving. Manufacturers are responding and some of the quick fixes have already taken place.”

Some automakers have taken on the challenge of creating these quick fixes by actually designing new improvements to headlights. These include lights that swerve with the curvature of roads, while others have advocated for the switch of all headlights to the already existing adaptive-beam headlights, which “dim light aimed at oncoming motorists to reduce glare while maintaining high beams on the road ahead to ensure visibility.” Additionally, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (a group that represents major automakers) supports changing outdated US regulations in order to allow the adoption of even more technology that could greatly improve headlight performance, as already demonstrated in Europe and Japan.

On the other hand, as shown by the headlight tests, there is still a long way to go before drivers can be guaranteed safe headlights for all vehicles. Sometimes, installation issues may prevent headlights from performing well. Other times, car owners find that manufacturers didn't aim headlights in the right direction when they were installed. Simple errors like these may lead to difficulties driving in the dark, down the road, which can in turn lead to car crashes. Working and properly installed headlights are important because, if motorists cannot see while driving at night, they may be at greater risk of being involved in an automobile crash. Headlight regulations should continue to be monitored to light the way for automakers to design the safest vehicles for consumers, no matter what time of day it is.

Headlights keep dark roads lit for drivers, allowing them to see what's ahead on the road. If you or someone you know has been involved in an automobile accident related to headlight malfunction, or has been involved in any other type of car crash, please contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.

David Hack is an Oakland County Sheriff Deputy. On January 4, 2018, around 7:00 AM, according to the Detroit Free Press, Hack was policing an accident that had occurred in front of Rochester Adams High School, in Rochester Hill, Michigan. Deputy Hack was standing in front of his car when he was struck by a Ford Taurus driven by a 24-year-old college student who was on her way to Oakland University. David Hack was taken to Crittenton Hospital in Rochester Hills by the Rochester Fire Department.

According to Click On Detroit, since the car accident, David has opened his eyes three times. It was reported that he is still in critical condition and has not regained consciousness, but is now stable. Deputy Hack's family is staying hopeful and his wife believes that he is aware that his family's presence in the hospital room.

Deputy Hack's car crash comes as yet another disheartening police car accident, since only six weeks ago, a Oakland County Sheriff Deputy passed away after he was also struck by a car on Thanksgiving day. The Detroit Free Press reported that Deputy Eric Overall, "had just deployed tire-deflating stop sticks on the southbound side of M-15 at Seymour Lake Road and was "well off the roadway" when the driver purposely swerved to hit him at about 12:30 a.m." 22-year-old Christopher Joseph Berak, the driver who hit Overall, has four prior convictions for marijuana possession and for resisting and obstructing police.

While Oakland County and Michiganders may be surprised to hear about both of these police accidents, car crashes involving law enforcement officers are more common than most may think. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently released statistics that found that 86 law enforcement officers were killed during in line-of-duty incidents in 2015. Of those 86 fatalities, 29 were police car crash deaths.

While Deputy Overall's death was ruled a homicide, Deputy Hack's car crash was likely a non-intentional accident. While there is no surefire way to avoid causing a car accident, drivers would do well to always pay attention to their surroundings when operating a motor vehicle. For police car crashes in particular, one way to avoid car crashes with cops is to know how to respond when you are being pulled over by a law enforcement officer. The Michigan Law Firm, PC blog has previously discussed Michigan State Police Lieutenant Rob Davis' tips on what to do when a police officer pulls you over.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that each year 4,092 pedestrians are killed in motor related accidents. It's important for drivers to always be aware of their surroundings and to watch out for other cars as well as pedestrians. No matter how vigilant a driver is however, car accident can and do happen. If you have been involved in a car accident due to a negligent driver, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation with a car accident attorney today.

A new treadmill developed by Motek Medical uses virtual reality (VR) to safely challenge patients with neurological impairments. Called CAREN (Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment), the platform has been tested by the Cleveland Clinic to help evaluate and train individuals with Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and other neurological conditions. The Cleveland Clinic is the first nonmilitary site in North and South America to install the interactive virtual reality treadmill.

Specifically, CAREN analyzes balance, locomotion, and coordination in affected patients by placing them in an immersive and interactive environment. While a patient walks on the treadmill, surrounding visual projection, the floor, and the sound system react to the patient's behavior in response to real-time motion-capture capabilities.

Another characteristic of CAREN is labeled '6-Degrees-of-Freedom,' and refers to the treadmill's ability to move up, down, left, and right and gives the platform simulator-like qualities. Real-time feedback merges data from CAREN's hardware to constantly perform quantifiable evaluation.

Physical Applications Of Virtual Reality Rehabilitation

In less scientific terms, this means that the virtual reality treadmill has the capability to help zero in on physical and mental effects of neourological diseases, which will hopefully lead to improvements for people with brain conditions. By catering to a patient's customized needs and preferences, CAREN offers researchers future opportunities to make medical advancements for people suffering from degenerative brain diseases or traumatic brain injuries.

Since brain injuries may occur anytime and anyplace, from playing professional football, getting into a car crash or motorcycle collision, or even due to the circumstances of being homeless, technological developments are all the more necessary to help improve the lives of people suffering from neurological impairments. A virtual reality treadmill is just the latest in modern advancements for the brain, and hopefully there are many more creative treatments to come.

CAREN could be the future for people suffering from neurological conditions or traumatic brain injuries. If you or someone you know has experienced a brain injury from a motor vehicle accident, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.

]]>My Oh My! That Seat Belt Looks Good On YouGabriela PinottiSun, 14 Jan 2018 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/6/27/my-oh-my-that-seat-belt-looks-good-on-you54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:595265dabf629a17a5c1a667There are thousands of unique accessories in the fashion world, from purses to jewelry to hats to belts; the list goes on and on. Over the past few decades, fashion has started to become more economically friendly, with old products and materials being remade into something totally different. One unusual item being used for fashion is typically found in your car: seat belts! The secure straps were initially developed to save lives in automobile accidents, but today are being used for much more.

Nils Bohlin, a Swedish engineer, invented the modern-day seat belt in 1959. Previously, there were only two-point seat belts, and the only people who used them were race car drivers. Bohlin was hired by Volvo to be the company’s first chief safety engineer. After Bohlin’s revolutionary invention, Volvo made the new seat belts available to other manufacturers to help increase safety in the industry. By 1968, all American vehicles were required to have the modern day seat belts. Volvo estimates that over one million lives have been saved by the seat belt from the time of its invention to the time of Bohlin’s death in September 2002. In just the United States alone, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that seat belts save over 11,000 lives in car crashes per year.

At some point, however, seat belts evolved from only being safety devices to protect people in the event of a car accident. Today, seat belts are used as fashion accessories, an economically friendly way to change up an outfit. HARVEYS, a California-based company, makes handbags and lifestyle goods out of old car seat belts. It all started when Dana Harvey was restoring a classic car and used the leftover seat belts to make a bag for his wife, Melanie. Today, HARVEYS makes numerous purses, bags, and backpacks in endless colors and designs, using seat belts in a fun and creative way. The company’s products even extend to dog leashes, passport holders, and lawn chairs! In a statement HARVEYS said, employees “get to experience the full life cycle of a product, and that has a big effect on how (they) design...it inspires you to make quality stuff that can last a lifetime.” The repurposing of seat belts doesn’t sound very far off from the original goals of creating a safer seat belt.

Another business, Buckle-Down, turns seat belts into belts and buckles that hold up pants. Custom designs allow customers to choose what they want their belt to look like, and they offer everything from Disney cartoons to sports teams to car company logos. Buckle-Down also partners with retailers such as Hot Topic, Bed Bath and Beyond, and the Disney theme parks to bring recycled seat belt belts to more people.

There is always the possibility that someone will fall in love with a seat belt fashion accessory, and as a result, use their seat belt more or help spread awareness to others about the importance of strapping in while riding in a motor vehicle. In fact, whether they are connected or not, along with the popularity of up-cycled seat belt products, seat belt usage in the US has increased steadily from 70.7% in 2000 to 90.1% in 2016. Still, there are many more lives that could be saved in a motor vehicle accident through the use of a seat belt. 48% of people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2015 were not wearing seat belts, which is alarming considering that this safety product is not a new development. During an automobile crash, buckling up helps keep passengers safe and secure inside their vehicles. The Michigan Law Firm, PC blog has previously discussed the NHTSA's safety tips on how to wear a seat belt properly, so as to help prevent an injury or fatality in the event of a car crash.

Nils Bohlin likely never imagined his first seat belt becoming more than a safety precaution after its development. Smooth and sleek, seat belts offer a trendy and unique look to fashionistas looking to update their outfits. Seat belt products also help the environment by reusing old belts to make something brand new. While seat belts are continuing to be transformed today, it is important to remember to “Click It or Ticket” when riding in a motor vehicle, as your life may depend on it.

Seat belt fashion accessories are available on the market, bringing a more attractive side to safety. However, in line with their original purpose, seat belts are an important safety measure that save lives during a motor vehicle crash. Anyone riding in a car or driving a vehicle should always wear their seat belts, because no one looks good flattened on the side of the road. If you or someone you know has been involved in a car collision, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

You are driving home from work, eager to beat rush hour. You pull up to a red light intending to make a right turn on red before oncoming traffic approaches. You successfully make your right turn, however, you happened to miss the ‘no turn on red’ sign in your rush to evade the traffic! Now, a Michigan State Police officer has stopped you and has given you a $130 ticket for making an illegal turn.

Despite the pain of receiving a traffic ticket, Michigan drivers may actually have it better than drivers in 25 other states in the US. In each of these 25 states, at least one form of automated traffic cameras have been permitted to monitor traffic and automatically punish offenders. There are two forms of these traffic cameras: speed enforcement cameras and red light cameras. Each of these cameras is equipped with a trigger and a computer. As reported by PhotoEnforced, once a driver has committed a traffic violation by exceeding the speed limit or running a red light, the camera is triggered and automatically snaps a photo of the act. The snapshot and a traffic fine is then mailed to the owner about a month later.

According to The Detroit News, these automated cameras have proved extremely lucrative for some cities and states. Since first installing automated cameras in 2003, Chicago has raised $625 million from traffic fines alone! Using over 400 cameras, Chicago currently collects about $45 million from traffic violations annually. After being hired by the city to study the effects of the traffic cameras, Northwestern University (NWU) reported a 14% increase in rear-end accidents in intersections where cameras were present. NWU also found that the public perception of the cameras is that they are very unfair due to the “dilemma zone.”

As The Michigan Law Firm, PC blog previously discussed, the dilemma zone is the zone in which the yellow light turns red and the driver has to decide whether to brake immediately or drive through the intersection. To back up driver displeasure, NWU studies found that traffic violations are actually reduced if yellow lights are extended from three to four seconds.This time extension allows the driver more time to cross the intersection safely and avoid colliding with other cars.

All of the information collected in NWU's study is important because, according to The U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration, in 2015, vehicle travel reached an all time high with over 3.1 trillion miles traveled. Among the 6 states with the lowest fatality rate, 5 have all banned automated traffic cameras.

How Some States Deal With Automated Cameras

The Texas Transportation Institute supported the claim to lengthen yellow lights by reporting a 40% decrease in intersection car collisions when one second is added to yellow lights. Adding an extra second does not come without a cost, however. Georgia tried mandating the extension of yellow light signals too, but as a result, private companies running the traffic signals went bankrupt due to the decrease in traffic violations.

Some other states have been modifying their laws regarding the use of automated cameras. In Oxnard, California, after collecting over $2 million from traffic violations in 2016, a court found the city guilty of not extending yellow light times after it had been mandated by the state 2 years prior.

In North Carolina, almost all automated cameras have been removed after the state ruled that all profits are to go to school systems rather than private companies. On the contrary, after banning red light cameras in Virginia in 2005, the state reinstated the cameras in July of 2016.

Automated traffic cameras are less harmful to drivers when the yellow light is extended in their favor. Regardless of whether the traffic light is being run by a city or private company, when the yellow light is purposely shortened in an attempt to collect more revenue from tickets, the driving situation becomes harmful to the driver. In the case of shorter yellow lights, drivers have to decide whether to brake abruptly or proceed through the intersection and assume the risk of running a red light, both of which are actions that can result in dangerous car accidents.

Although Michigan does not permit the use of automated traffic cameras, the risk of being involved in an automobile accident at an intersection or traffic light is still prevalent. In some circumstances, the absence of traffic cameras could lead to drivers speeding more often and driving more aggressively at intersections. If you have been involved in any type of car accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation. Our accident attorneys are here to answer any questions you may have regarding any benefits you may be entitled to under Michigan law.

]]>Winter Weather Means Hazardous Driving ConditionsKatie StathulisSat, 23 Dec 2017 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/11/16/winter-weather-means-hazardous-driving-conditions54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a0e5ac20d9297dc479484feWhile a lot of us may love the holiday season, one not so joyous thing that comes with it is the weather. What's particularly bad is that winter weather affects roads and can make driving dangerous. While fresh snow may be a pretty sight to see on Christmas morning, it’s a lot less pretty when it’s causing car collisions on the road. Unfortunately, snow, sleet, and ice, are responsible for a significant number of automobile accidents in winter months.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), over 70% of roads in the U.S. are located in areas that receive at least 5 inches of snow on average each year. Nearly 70% of the U.S. population lives in these areas, meaning the vast majority of us have our drives impacted by winter weather conditions to some degree. Heavy snow and sleet reduce visibility of the road, and snow accumulation reduces the number of cars that fit on the street, as well as how fast vehicles are able to travel. On surface roads, speeds decrease by an average of 30-40% in snowy and icy conditions. On the freeway, speeds decrease by an average of 3-13% in light snow, and 5-40% in heavy snow. Snow and ice on the road also reduce pavement friction and vehicle maneuverability.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that of the 5,748,000 crashes that occurred between 2005 and 2015, 1,259,000 (22%) were weather related. This is an average of about 5,900 weather related automobile accidents per year. Of crashes caused by weather, precipitation and wet pavement were the most common causes, which is unsurprising because these conditions occur year round. Of weather conditions that are specific to winter months, 17% of crashes occurred during snow or sleet, 13% occurred on icy pavement, and 14% occurred due to snowy or slushy pavement. Rapidly changing conditions, such as a sudden blizzard, are the most dangerous conditions, as road visibility can change in an instant.

Road salt is commonly used to help reduce the effects of winter weather on the road. USDOT reports that winter road maintenance makes up 20% of state DOT maintenance budgets. State and local agencies spend approximately $2.3 billion on snow and ice road repairs. Salt has proven to be extremely effective in keeping drivers safer. According to a study done by Marquette University, road salt reduces the number of car collisions by 88%, injuries by 85%, and accident costs by 85%.

It’s clear that winter weather conditions make roads more dangerous and car accidents more likely to happen. However it’s unrealistic to expect drivers to just not go anywhere when it snows (especially in Michigan, where the winters can be very, very long). The Michigan Secretary of State offers the following tips for driving in winter weather.

While following these tips can’t guarantee you won’t get into a winter car accident caused by snow or ice, it may help reduce the risk of motor vehicle collisions, and keep you and your family safer if you should be involved a car crash. The holiday season is a celebratory time of year, but it’s important to be aware of the driving hazards that also occur. These scary winter car accident statistics aren’t meant to keep you in your house all winter, but should serve as an important reminder of the additional hazards winter weather poses to driving.

While winter weather conditions do make driving more dangerous, the truth is that car crashes happen all year round. If you have been involved in an automobile accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

Last holiday season, a pit bill mix named Scarface living in Tampa, Florida attacked his owner after she tried to put a Christmas sweater on him. As the owner, Brenda Guerrero, went outside and tried to place Scarface in the sweater, he turned and retaliated by biting down on Guerrero’s arm, according to AOL News. Hearing the commotion, Guerrero’s husband, Ismael, came outside and tried to help by pulling the dog free from his wife, but was also attacked. Guerrero's son, Antoine Harris, eventually stopped the attack by stabbing the pit bull mix in the head and neck. The pit bull mix also attacked Harris before the three victims were able to flee inside the house for safety.

When the Tampa Police and the Hillsborough County Animal Control arrived, they attempted to tranquilize Scarface, but were unsuccessful. The dog was able to run into the house where two small children were also residing. During this time, authorities switched tactics by using a bean bag gun and a taser to subdue the dog, and then captured him with a catch-pole. Authorities told the Tampa Bay Times that both Guerrero and her husband were rushed to the hospital where Guerrero’s injuries were believed to be serious but not life threatening.

Scarface was euthanized sometime on January 3, 2017, Fox 6 news reports. Kara Walker, spokeswoman for Hillsborough County, said that the pit bull mix was put down due to posing a safety risk to the public and because of the severe stab wounds sustained by Harris during the attack.

Pit bills like Scarface contributed to 71% of total recorded dog bites in 2016. Dogsbite.org also says family dogs inflicted 45% of dog bite fatalities in 2016. While dogs have a reputation of being man's best friend, they may sometimes attack for reasons we are not able to comprehend. It is important to treat our pets with respect and monitor their behavior in an effort to prevent dog bite accidents. This means, that if a dog isn't comfortable wearing clothing, don't force it to! The holiday season is a time for joyous celebration with family, friends, and pets. Don't spend yours in the ER because Fluffy wouldn't wear his jingle bells.

Dog owners have to train and familiarize their pet with wearing animal clothing before forcing outfits on them. If owners are not careful, there is the possibility that animals will become agitated and lash out - much like the Scarface the pit bull mix. Don't ruin your holiday season by making your pet match the family for the Christmas card. If you or someone you know has been injured in a dog bite accident, contact The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

]]>Holiday Season Causes More Drunk Driving AccidentsKatie StathulisThu, 21 Dec 2017 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/11/10/holiday-season-causes-more-drunk-driving-accidents54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a061685652deacb4c5e649fIt is almost impossible to separate Christmas and New Years from drinking alcohol. From spiced wine, spiked punch, and brandied eggnog at holiday parties, to beer while watching football on New Year's day, almost every holiday event has a corresponding alcoholic beverage. And while it is, of course, fun to celebrate the holidays with friends and family, with a drink or two, often times figuring out how to safely get home from those parties is overlooked. The winter holiday season is therefore unfortunately notorious for seeing a spike in drunk driving accidents, as too many people drunkenly get behind the wheel after their holiday celebrations.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), more people are likely to die in alcohol related crashes during the holidays than at any other time of year. During Christmas and New Year's, 2 to 3 times more people die in alcohol-related crashes than during comparable time periods during the rest of the year. During this time period, alcohol causes 40% of traffic fatalities, as compared to just 28% during the rest of December.

Data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that in December of 2015, drunk driving resulted in 840 deaths. Also in that month, drunk driving accidents were 4 times more likely to occur at night as opposed to during the day. In Michigan alone, the Michigan State Police reported that there were 5 fatal crashes and 6 fatalities on Christmas day in 2016. On New Year’s Eve 2016 and New Year’s Day 2017, there were 9 fatal accidents and 11 fatalities. In all of these car accidents, alcohol and lack of seat belt use were factors that lead to car accident fatalities.

Making matters worse, there is a significant increase in traffic during the holidays, putting more people at risk of being involved in any type of car accident, let alone a drunk driving car accident. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the amount of long distance road trips taken increased by 23% during Christmas and New Year’s as compared to the rest of the year. People travel, on average, 275 miles to visit friends and family over the holidays, with about half of travelers completing their trips in one day, without spending any nights away. So many people on the road means heavier traffic, and more people at risk of being involved in an automobile accident. Unlike Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s fall on a different day of the week each year, making traffic patterns more difficult to predict.

When consuming alcohol at holiday parties, drivers often don't realize just how drunk they are, and think they are OK to drive. When alcohol is consumed, skills that pertain to driving (such as concentration, and decision making) are diminished more quickly than some of the more obvious signs of drunkenness take to set in. Even though alcohol may not initially change the drinker's behavior, anyone who imbibes alcohol may still be impaired. Alcohol slows reaction times, makes it tough to control behavior, and may even amplify aggression. When large quantities of alcohol are consumed, speech can be slurred and drinkers may feel a loss of balance and drowsiness. All of these symptoms of drinking can impair driving abilities, and a person experiencing drunk driving behavior has no business being behind the wheel.

If you find yourself enjoying an alcoholic beverage this holiday season, call an Uber or take the bus home. Better yet, if you know you'll be drinking ahead of time, prearrange a ride. If you're spending the holidays with a group of people who will all be partaking in alcoholic beverages, select a designated driver. These are all ways in which you may be able to reduce the likelihood of causing a drunk driving accident. And if you see someone who is drunk at a party, HuffPost has the following tips for helping prevent a drunk driver from taking the wheel.

Holiday Drunk Driving Prevention Tips

If someone is noticeably impaired, take away their keys.

Remind drunk people that police often set up more drunk driving checkpoints during holidays (although this is illegal in Michigan, so it may only work if you are out of state).

Set ground rules, such as a person cannot start drinking until they have turned over their keys

Find out who at the party does not drink, and assign them as designated drivers.

If you’re at a family party with teenagers, hire them out to “babysit” the adults by driving them home.

So, if you have a drink or two during holiday festivities, keep in mind that no matter how quickly you think you can sober up, or if you’re the "least drunk" person at the party, anyone who has been recently consuming multiple alcoholic drinks is not suitable to drive. There are plenty of options available to make sure a drunk person does not operate a vehicle. While you can’t guarantee you won’t be involved in an automobile accident, you can guarantee that you will not be the one to call an accident attorney and admit to driving drunk.

Drunk driving is never OK, but alcohol-related accidents are unfortunately common during the holiday season. If you or a loved one have been the victim of a drunk driving automobile accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation. Let us handle the legal issues while you focus on recovering.

Ypsilanti, Michigan car accident? We file lawsuits for those who have been injured in car accidents. See if you are eligible for pain and suffering benefits.

]]>Drivers Should Be Prepared for Heavy Christmas Traffic Katie StathulisWed, 20 Dec 2017 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/11/16/drivers-should-be-prepared-for-heavy-christmas-traffic54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a0e60c3652deaed3c65523bIt’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and for many of us, that means hitting the road and driving to visit friends and family. Time Magazine reported that approximately 100 million Americans travel between December 23 and January 3, and a whopping 90% of those travelers travel by car. That means traffic-a lot of traffic, and all of over the span of only a couple of days! And when more cars are on the road, it means car collisions are more likely to happen.

It should be noted that Christmas traffic patterns are much harder to predict than Thanksgiving traffic patterns. Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday every year, making traffic flow on the days leading up to and after the holiday, pretty predictable, since it’s the same day of the week each year. Christmas, on the other hand, falls on a different day each year, making traffic more difficult to forecast. When the holiday falls in relation to the weekend, as well as when schools start winter break, can vary year to year and will impact travel days and traffic patterns. That being said, Waze, a navigation app, has released travel data from years past to help forecast what traffic will be like this year.

Since Christmas falls on a Monday this year, it is likely that Friday, December 22nd, will be the worst travel day. Specifically, traffic will be the heaviest between 3 PM and 6 PM when people start leaving work, but roads will be more congested than usual starting as early as 11 AM. In years past, Christmas Eve has also been a pretty heavy travel day. However since Christmas Eve is a Sunday this year, it's likely that many people will begin their travel on Friday or Saturday, and Christmas Eve traffic won't be as heavy as it's been in years past. Like Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day is the best day to travel, as traffic is at its lightest, and mimics weekend traffic patterns. Regardless of when your holiday travel plans are, it's important to be alert, as traffic flow probably won't be the same as it is on a normal day.

Waze’s data in regard to what destinations people are searching for on Christmas Eve likely won’t come as much of a surprise. Places of worship were by far the most searched for destination, seeing a 148% increase in searches. Before they go to church though, drivers appear to be running some last minute errands or trying to catch a flight. Grocery stores, restaurants, shopping areas, and airports all saw increases in number of searches as well, with most people making their drives between 10 AM and 4 PM. If you can, try and complete any urgent or last minute errands before Christmas Eve, and save yourself from a potential highway standstill!

When it comes to returning home after Santa has made his visit, traffic is more spread out over a few days. Historically, December 27th has been the worst day in terms of return traffic. But since Christmas falls on a Monday this year, drivers' return trips will largely depend on what day of the week they need to be back at work. This means that there will likely be more variation as to what days people are heading home. Based on data from 2016, waiting to return home until the 28th, as opposed o the 27th, resulted in lighter traffic.

Sitting in traffic may not bring much holiday cheer, but it is an unavoidable part of traveling over the holidays. If you can plan your travel to avoid the most congested times, you may be able to avoid the worst of the gridlock. Also by avoiding traffic, you may be able to avoid expressing and being on the receiving end of aggressive driving behaviors. Road rage car accidents are often prevalent during rush hour, and are like to be worse at a time when millions of people are running late to Christmas dinner.

If you do find yourself traveling at one of the more popular travel times, know that your drive to Grandma and Grandpa's house is probably going to take longer than usual. Allow yourself extra time to get where you need to be, and let friends and family know that traffic may make you a little late. No one likes sitting in traffic, but it's a part of the deal when it comes to holiday travel, and no holiday can be happy when a loved one has been injured in a car accident.

Heavier traffic which can lead to road rage and aggressive driving, combined with winter weather conditions, means that there may be many car crashes this holiday season. If you or a loved one become injured in a car crash due to aggressive driving, distracted driving, road rage, or winter weather, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation with an experienced accident attorney.

]]>Christmas Lights May Cause Distracted Driving AccidentsShama ParekhTue, 19 Dec 2017 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/12/12/christmas-lights-may-cause-distracted-driving-accidents54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a308b0071c10b48bfeff0f8With Christmas just around the corner, houses, shopping complexes, and office buildings all around, are decorated in shining lights, Santa sleighs, and reindeer. While receiving gifts may be most peoples' favorite part about the upcoming holidays, Christmas decorations are another cause for excitement, as they bring out creativity and even competition, to see who has the best displays. In fact, the whole premise of the movieDeck The Halls, is, "two neighbors having it out after one of them decorates his house for the holidays so brightly that it can be seen from space!" Visibility from space may be a stretch, but many businesses, homes, and even cities in Michigan, go all out in lighting splendor during the holidays. Driving to see these Christmas light spectacles is a very popular Christmas pastime.

In fact, there are multiple holiday light displays throughout the Metro Detroit area which hold up traffic and draw crowds of pedestrians. Downtown Rochester, Michigan is famous for its outstanding light display throughout that connects all downtown storefronts. Restaurants and small shops are decorated in different colors, which gives the entire strip an amazing glow. Citizens of Michigan can view this sight by driving through downtown but also enjoy parking, walking around, and taking pictures with their family and friends. For those who don't like to leave the comfort and warmth of their car, Lake Shore Drive in Grosse Pointe is a popular holiday decoration destination. The houses in this neighborhood are known for the extravagant Christmas lights and people from all across the Metro Detroit area come to see them.

While the light shows and displays are so dazzling, it is for the reason that they are eye catching that they may also be dangerous. Looking at lights while in a car causes attention to veer away from the road and may in turn cause drivers to become involved in distracted driving car accidents. These distracted driving car crashes might not only involve other cars, but in such high traffic areas, may lead to distracted driving pedestrian accidents. A few weeks ago, in Massachusetts, a local news outlet reported that a 62-year-old man was hit by a car while crossing the street to view a popular Christmas light display that is put up every year. He was hit by a 23-year-old who was driving through the light display. This is just one example of the many distracted driving car accidents that can occur relating to both pedestrians and drivers during the holiday season. And although that distracted driving pedestrian accident occurred in Massachusetts, similar winter car crashes can occur to families talking selfies in downtown Rochester or couples driving through Lake Shore Drive.

Whether you are a pedestrian or a driver, one thing to always remember is to be aware of your surroundings and know that your actions can affect the lives of others. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every day 9 people are killed and around 1,000 people are injured due to distracted driving. That's over 12,000 people who get injured because of distracted driving!

If you plan on driving to see holiday lights this year, choosing a designated driver, as you would to avoid drunk driving, may be a good idea. A designated driver would not look at the holiday decorations and instead would focus on the road so the rest of the vehicle's occupants can enjoy Christmas spectacles without worry. If you plan to take in the holiday spirit via walking, try to wear reflective clothing and move in a group so as to be visible, and try to stay on sidewalks and walkways, so as to avoid stepping in the road. While there is no surefire way to avoid being involved in a distracted driving car accident or a distracted pedestrian crash, by staying alert and staying in your lane (or sidewalk), any potential accidents can hopefully be avoided.

Pedestrians and drivers who want to take pictures of the holiday displays should be aware that cell phones are a huge contributor to distracted driving and adding Christmas lights just begging to be photographed and tweeted into the mix, doesn’t help. Getting the perfect Instagram picture is not worth a call to a car accident lawyer. Telling your accident attorney that you got hit by a car because you walked into the road while taking a selfie with Santa in the background not only sounds embarrassing, but may cause you deal with a ridiculous number of Michigan car insurance legal issues.

The holiday season comes with an infectious spirit that causes people to drink eggnog, go caroling, and decorate their houses with lights. While driving around town to look at holiday light displays is a popular event, drivers and pedestrians should always remember to be aware of their surroundings and take precautions to prevent distracted driving car accidents. If you have been injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC, at 844.MI.FIRM, for a free consultation with an experienced auto accident attorney.

Should the manufacturer of a phone be held responsible for an automobile accident that was caused by someone using one of their phones while driving? It’s a question that likely isn’t going to disappear anytime soon, but at least according to one California judge, the answer is no.

According to Apple Insider, a class action lawsuit was filed against Apple in Los Angeles, California in January of 2017. The suit included victims and loved ones of victims who died in automobile accidents that were caused by a driver using an iPhone while behind the wheel. The suit claims that Apple had the technology to prevent texting while driving since 2008, and had a patent for it since 2014. The suit alleges that Apple refused to implement the technology as they were afraid it would cause them to lose sales to other phone manufacturers who weren’t using such technology. As a result, iPhone owners were able to text (or otherwise use their phone) while driving, injuring and killing others on the road. The plaintiffs wanted Apple to be held accountable for allowing drivers to be able to use their iPhones while driving.

But according to a circuit court judge in Santa Monica, California, it’s unreasonable to hold Apple accountable for the ultimate harm that is caused by an accident in which an iPhone was involved. As a result, the case was thrown out in August of 2017. Had the suit gone to trial, the plaintiffs were asking for Apple to halt production of iPhones in California until they would be manufactured with “lock out” technology, and that all current iPhones be updated to include the technology that prevents drivers from being able to use their iPhone while driving.

That ultimately didn’t happen, as the case was thrown out. But in the meantime, Apple has launched a new setting called “Do Not Disturb While Driving”, as part of their iOS 11 software update. As The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC blog previously mentioned, when enabled, Do Not Disturb While Driving mutes calls, notifications, and text messages, and keeps the screen dark. iPhone owners can also have the feature auto-reply to text messages, letting the contact know that the person is driving.

The safe driving feature turns on automatically when it detects an accelerating vehicle, or drivers can program the setting to turn on whenever the phone connects to their vehicle’s Bluetooth. There is an “I’m Not Driving” option for those who are riding in a car as a passenger, but of course there’s nothing really stopping the driver from claiming they are not driving, in order to be able to use their phone. Because of this, some feel as though the feature doesn’t go far enough to prevent a driver from engaging in distracted driving behaviors. They believe that Do Not Disturb While Driving should turn on automatically, without the driver having to enable it, and that there should be no option to turn it off. For similar smart phone apps that lock drivers out of their phones while driving, check out this blog post from The Michigan Law, Firm, PLLC.

While there may not be a perfect solution yet, it is clear that a solution is desperately needed. Distracted driving is one of the most dangerous driving behaviors a driver can engage in, risking not only their life, but the lives of everyone else on the road as well. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,477 people were killed in distracted driving car accidents in 2015 alone. On top of that 391,000 people were injured in distracted driving car crashes.

The aforementioned Apple lawsuit cites data from the United States Department of Transportation, which reports that 1.5 million people are texting while driving at any given moment. They also cite data from the California Highway Patrol and the Federal Highway Administration which notes that iPhones specifically caused 52,000 automobile accidents in California each year, as well as 312 deaths in 2015.

Regardless of whether or not Apple should be held responsible for automobile accidents caused by iPhones, the lesson here is that distracted driving is incredibly dangerous. While features like Do Not Disturb While Driving and other apps that lock drivers out of their phones while in a vehicle are helpful, it’s ultimately the driver’s choice as to whether or not they use their phone while driving, not the manufacturer's. No text or phone call or playlist is nearly important enough to take your eyes off the road, and could mean injury or death for you, your passengers, and other people on the road.

Distracted driving in any form is absolutely never okay. Regardless of whether or not your phone has technology that can prevent you from using it while driving, it's ultimately up to you to decide to put the phone down when you're behind the wheel. Even if you can choose to put the phone down however, you can't control other people's actions, and car accidents can still happen. If you have been the victim of a distracted driving accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

844.464.3476 Injured in a testing and driving accident? Speak to an accident lawyer now at The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Free consultations

]]>First Snowfalls Causing Car Collisions Across MichiganKatie StathulisSun, 17 Dec 2017 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/12/11/first-snowfalls-causing-car-collisions-across-michigan54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a2f554b0d9297922e016ee1The snow has started in Michigan, and unfortunately, the dangerous impact it can have on roads is already being seen. In only the first week of December, numerous car collisions caused by hazardous weather conditions were already reported.

In western Michigan, accidents involving over three dozen cars were reported by the Detroit Free Press. On Thursday, December 7, 2017, westbound I-94 in southwestern Michigan was closed due to various pileups that began around 9 AM. An initial twenty car pileup was then quickly followed by a ten car pileup. Eight other smaller accidents were also reported that day, including one car accident involvign a pickup truck that slid into oncoming traffic, sideswiping an SUV. Luckily, only minor injuries were reported. The car accidents occurred near Mattawan, Michigan, in Van Buren County. Slippery road conditions were cited as the cause of all of these automobile accidents.

The Detroit Free Press also reported on a tragic scene that was caused by winter weather conditions in northern Michigan. On Wednesday, December 6, 2017, a 25-year old man was killed after he was hit by an oncoming vehicle as he was clearing snow from his driveway. The man was using a snowblower when a 25-year old female driver lost control of her vehicle, hitting the man. The accident occurred in Kingsley, Michigan, which is located in Grand Traverse County. The names of those involved in the accident have not been released as an investigation is ongoing.

Accidents like these are unfortunately common throughout the United States as winter weather starts to set in. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, nearly 22% of car collisions that occurred between 2005 and 2014 were caused by hazardous weather. Those accidents killed an average of 5,900 people each year, which accounts for 16% of annual vehicular deaths. Of accidents caused by hazardous weather, wet pavement was the most common culprit, being responsible for 73% of all weather related accidents. Snow and sleet precipitation accounted for 17% of all weather related accidents, snowy and slushy pavement accounted for 14% of these car crashes, and and icy pavement accounted for 13%.

These numbers are scary, and Michigan winters are cold and long. This doesn’t mean that you should never get in your car again until April, but it is important that drivers are aware of the hazards that snow, sleet, slush, and ice can present. Practicing safe driving behaviors is always important, but especially so when driving in hazardous weather. Drivers should first make sure their vehicles are ready for winter driving. Steps to make a car winter ready can be found on The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC blog. Once a car is winter ready, drivers should take their time on the road and be sure to leave enough stopping distance between themselves and other vehicles. Finally, If the weather really seems just too dangerous to be driving in, it’s likely that most businesses will be closed, and you don’t need to brave the elements and risk injuring or hurting yourself or others.

Accidents happen year round, but the truth is that winter weather conditions make car accidents even more likely. If you or a loved one have been involved in an automobile accident caused by hazardous weather such as snow or ice, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

]]>Beware Of Traffic Light Camera TicketingElaishia OutleySat, 16 Dec 2017 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2016/11/11/beware-of-traffic-light-camera-ticketing54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:58263ec137c58159b6bef43eWith the holiday season fast approaching, thousands of Michiganders will do doubt be travelling to see their families or even to take a winter vacation. While many may choose to fly, driving is also a popular travel method to reach nearby destinations. While roadtrippers are crossing between states, they need take into consideration any differences in state road laws, particularly at intersections. Unlike Michigan, the Detroit News says 23 other states use automated ticket cameras to fine drivers unaware that they are being filmed for breaking the law.

Privatized traffic law enforcement systems are growing in number throughout the United States, but Michigan has yet to follow the trend. The fact that Michigan hasn't followed suit may be for the best since many states have had negative experiences, and even scandals arise from the use of ticketing cameras. While traffic cameras were designed to make drivers follow road rules, since even just seeing a camera causes motorists to slow down, this is the exact reason they also caused trouble when drivers are ticketed after driving through an intersection during the “dilemma zone." The dilemma zone refers to the time frame in which a driver has to make a split-second decision to proceed through or slam on their brakes to stop, when a traffic light has just turned red.

Additionally, a study conducted in Los Angeles, California highlighted how red-light cameras led to an increase in traffic accidents, predominantly rear-end car crashes from drivers slamming on their brakes after seeing the camera's flash. This study led to many cities in California to break their contractual agreement with the traffic camera companies and even discover that one city's police department purposely stopped recording the information received from the traffic cameras in order to hide the results.

The scandals occurring in other states who use ticketing cameras at intersections include companies bribing local officials, automated ticket companies refusing to use the money acquired through traffic citations for public school funding, and privately owned ticket operation companies placing profit over traffic safety by setting ticket quotas.

It is for all of these problems with traffic cameras that Michigan Senator Mike Shirkey introduced Senate Bill 593 in November 2015. The bill suggests banning the use of unmanned traffic monitoring devices to detect or enforce traffic violations concerning speed limits, signals, traffic signs, etc.

Shirkey has said, “The recent scandals that took place in other states (related to ticketing cameras at intersections) show the true nature of some of these programs, and Michigan drivers have always, thankfully, valued freedom and we've avoided the added stress that cameras and their inaccurate ticketing can present.”

For now, Michigan residents can rest easy that the traffic cameras currently in place at select intersections across the state are simply there to monitor the flow of traffic. That doesn’t mean however, that drivers should disobey traffic signs or forget the laws of the road. Police can and will issue traffic citations which may be difficult to fight in court and may lead to points being added to a motorist's license, no matter if the ticket is received out-of-state or in-state.

Although some Americans relate traffic cameras to sinister government objectives such as increasing tax rates and invading citizens privacy, and point to the above mentioned scandals as proof, these state governments view traffic cameras as a safety addition to their city which keeps down traffic violations and keeps school zones safe. So, when you're driving to Bubbe's house for Hannukah this year, mind your speed or traffic cameras won't mind giving you a speeding ticket. It's better to eat cold latkes than have to explain to your Michigan accident Lawyer that you got rear-ended in Ohio when you slammed on your brakes at a traffic light that took your picture for speeding.

Red light cameras and speeding ticket cameras seem to be a reasonable safety measure for many American lawmakers who are working to help decrease and prevent auto accidents and traffic violations. While Michigan doesn't employ cameras to catch speeding or rule breaking drivers, Michigan drivers should always remember to follow the rules of the road to avoid getting in trouble with the law and to avoid getting into motor vehicle accidents. If you or somebody you know has been injured in an auto accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation with an experienced accident attorney.

Readers of The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC blog may remember two articles from this past summer that documented the saga of a Michigan man receiving a ticket for warming up his car one winter morning. Nick Taylor Trupiano, age 24 and of Roseville, Michigan, started his car in his driveway one morning in January of 2017. Taylor went back in his house to wait for it to warm up, but when he went back out to his car, was shocked to find a ticket on the windshield. The ticket read, “Vehicle parked in drive with keys in the ignition, motor running -- no one around."

Trupiano, angry and confused by the $128 fine, posted a picture of the ticket on Facebook, along with a heated description of the situation. The post was shared over 14,000 times. Facebook users were both angered at the Roseville Police Department for the bizarre ticket, and concerned that the same thing could happen to them. The Roseville Police Department responded, saying that, by leaving the car on with the keys in the ignition, Trupiano was “putting the public at risk” and creating a “public safety issue.” Essentially, Trupiano was leaving the car open to being stolen, since it was sitting in public view with the keys in the ignition. The law that Trupiano was ticketed under was put in place in order to deter carjackings. Had he started his car with a remote starter, it would have been fine. It’s the fact that the keys were in the ignition, making it fairly easy to steal the car, that was the issue. Trupiano fought the ticket, but lost, and was forced to pay the fine.

Many Michigan residents were concerned that the same thing could happen to them, since it's common for Michiganders in the middle of a harsh, typical winter to warm their cars up while they wait inside. Agreeing with Michigan citizens, Representative Holly Hughes introduced Bill 4215, a bill that would make it legal to leave a car running with the keys in the ignition so long as it was on private property. The bill passed the Michigan House of Representatives, and Governor Rick Snyder officially signed it into law on June 28, 2017. To be clear, it is still illegal to leave a car running with the keys in the ignition on public roads and freeways.

While the bill may have alleviated many Michigan residents’ fears about being ticketed for warming up their car in the winter, what was lost in the debate is whether or not cars even need to be warmed up in the winter. The short answer is, no. The idea that drivers need to warm up their vehicles before driving in the winter does stem from some truth, but doesn’t carry much weight now. According to the Washington Post, it is true that a vehicle's fuel economy does decrease significantly in colder temperatures, and it does take longer for the engine to warm up to its optimal temperature in the winter. More so, vehicles manufactured with carburetors do need to be warmed up in order to work well and prevent the car from stalling. However, automobile manufacturers stopped using carburetors by the mid 1990s, and began using electronic fuel injections. Electronic fuel injections can monitor and adjust to the temperature, so warming up isn’t necessary. As a result, modern vehicles don’t need to be warmed up for more than 30 seconds before driving - the engine will warm up faster while being driven than it would will idling in the driveway.

In short, if you’re warming up your vehicle to help your engine, that really isn’t necessary. But if you idle your car in the morning simply so your car is warm and you don’t have to spend the first 10 minutes of your commute in an icebox, that’s a different story! Many drivers warm up their car for comfort, but it’s important to consider the economic and environmental implications. Idling your car not only wastes fuel (and thereby wastes money) but it also gives off greenhouse gas emissions. A 2009 study found that idling cars account for 1.6% of all greenhouse gas emissions in America. While some idling, such as idling in traffic, is unavoidable, idling in the driveway is not. That same study found that based on the price of fuel in 2009, Americans could save $5.9 billion a year on fuel costs if drivers would cut out unnecessary idling.

Whether you decide to idle your car in the morning or not is up to you. But if you do decide to idle your car, make sure you do so in your driveway, where it is now legal. Do so on a public street, and you are fair game for a ticket.

While accidents can happen any time of year, driving in snowy and icy conditions can be especially challenging, and can lead to winter weather car accidents. If you have been involved in an automobile accident due to winter road conditions, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

Roseville, Michigan car accident? We file lawsuits for those who have been injured in car accidents. See if you are eligible for pain and suffering benefits.

]]>Holiday Shopping Means Heavier Traffic Katie StathulisTue, 12 Dec 2017 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/11/16/holiday-shopping-means-heavier-traffic54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a0e5b41c830258272f417e9With Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, family gatherings, and office holiday parties rapidly approaching, more and more Americans are going to be heading to the mall to do some shopping. As much as we tell ourselves the holidays aren’t about the gifts, Americans spend a lot of time and money each year buying presents for others (and quite possibly themselves). In fact, Fortune reported that holiday sales exceeded $1 trillion in 2016. And when that many people are heading to the mall, it not only means long checkout lines, but long traffic lines as well.

While Black Friday, which took place on November 24, 21017 is often thought of as the pinnacle of holiday shopping days, according to ShoppingTrak, Saturday, December 23, 2017, is a close second. While December 23rd may seem like an arbitrary date, the last Saturday before Christmas is known in retail as Super Saturday, because shoppers are finishing up finishing up their gift purchases or have left all of their shopping until the last minute. According to Fortune, 155.7 million people went shopping on Super Saturday in 2016. By the time Super Saturday rolls around, it is likely too late to be placing any online orders, so shoppers must go to the store. Rounding out the top five shopping days of the year are December 16, 2017, (the second to last Saturday before Christmas) December 26, 2017 (presumably when people are making returns and exchanges), and November 25, 2017 (the day after Black Friday).

With millions of people going shopping on Super Saturday, and really throughout all of December, traffic near malls and shopping centers is going to be worse than usual. Whether you’re a shopper trying to get in on the action, or someone who finds themselves in the unfortunate position of living or working near a big shopping area, the traffic will be hard to miss. Parking lots will be chaotic, highway exits will be backed up, and more pedestrians than usual will be on the streets. And no matter how much you love the holidays, sitting in traffic can be frustrating, to say the least. So, to keep tempers down, driving school Aceable has some tips on to how drivers can avoid road rage when stuck in shopping traffic, and what to do should you find yourself in a motor vehicle accident with an aggressive driver.

Tips for Avoiding Road Rage

Most road ragers are usually dealing with some sort of emotional crisis, so if your girlfriend or boyfriend just broke up with you (or got unpleasant news from your doctor, or just woke up on the wrong side of the bed), be extra careful when you get behind the wheel. Give yourself some time to defuse before getting behind the wheel.

Expect other drivers to make mistakes and remember that everyone is human. You’ll be less freaked out when they do.

Be predictable. Always check your blind spots and use your signals when you change lanes so you don’t turn anyone else into a road rager. Checking all the views around your vehicle and being a considerate driver should help with preventing road rage.

If it’s rush hour or you find yourself in a traffic jam due to an accident, listen to music and just come to terms with the fact that you’re going to run late. It’s okay. No need to be inconsiderate to drivers around you by making obscene gestures at people trying to merge into your lane.

What To Do If You Enconter Road Rage

Avoid mad motorists, if at all possible. Ain’t nobody got time for that negative energy.

Don’t feed the trolls. If you try to speed up to pass an angry driver or prevent them from merging in your lane, it only makes things worse and can put your life in danger! Let them pass and leave plenty of room between you and that grump.

If an angry driver gives you the finger or makes another obscene gesture, be a grown up and ignore it. Such gestures have gotten people physically attacked many times. Um, no thanks.

Honk that horn only if you really have to for defensive driving purposes… like if a driver is merging into your lane and doesn’t appear to see you. Don’t use your horn if you’re simply annoyed because you’re sitting in traffic. We’re all in the same boat … er, car. Honking your horn is meant to be used to alert other drivers, not to scold them. Take the high road, engage in polite driving.

Don’t be afraid to report aggressive drivers to the authorities. You could save a life and prevent road rage from causing a bigger issue.

If you see a driver with road rage get into an auto accident, be cautious about approaching the vehicle and driver. Stop a safe distance away from them, then call the police to report the incident. Aggressive drivers can be unpredictable and it’s important to keep yourself safe

If an aggressive driver starts following you, don’t go home. Call the police and drive to the nearest police station. You don’t want to become the victim of a road rage attack.

While the holidays are supposed to be a joyous time, sitting in traffic, especially when you're trying to get last minute shopping done, can be anything but. No one likes sitting in traffic when they could be doing literally anything else, but no one likes getting in automobile accidents either. When shopping on Super Saturday, or doing any other holiday shopping this season, know that the mall is going to be busy, and things will likely be moving more slowly than usual. Remain calm, put on some holiday music, and remember that the holidays don’t last forever. Soon your Saturdays will consist of more than just sitting in mall traffic, and you won't be spending your time dealing with accident attorneys, insurance companies, and body shops, since you avoided getting into an aggressive driving car crash.

Sitting in traffic can be frustrating, but it's important to not let that frustration get the best of you, and result in unsafe aggressive driving behaviors, which can lead to road rage car accidents. If you become the victim of an aggressive driving car accident, talk to an experienced accident lawyer at The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Call us at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

Call 844.464.3476. The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC helps those injured in car accidents recover the benefits they are entitled to including pain and suffering compensation. Our accident attorneys are ready to help now!

With winter here and snow on the way, and knowing Michigan's reputation for brutal winters, it’s important for citizens of Michiganders to make sure their cars are prepared for winter driving. Just as people spend extra time layering on jackets and gloves and scarves, extra time needs to be taken to prepare cars for colder temperatures as well.

Since we can’t control the weather, and we really can’t control how other people drive in it and what winter car accidents may occur as a result, we need to be in control of how well taken care of our vehicles are. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which conducted an analysis of critical reasons for motor vehicle accidents, problems related to the vehicle accounted for 44,000 accidents over the span of two years. While this may not seem like a lot when compared to accidents caused by human error, there are more preventative measures that can be taken when it comes to vehicle-related causes to make them avoidable. And while winterizing your car won’t necessarily keep drivers out of any automobile accidents over the coming the months, it can help to ensure that your car runs as smoothly as possible in colder temperatures.

Of those 44,000 accidents, tires and wheels, along with brakes, were the biggest culprits in causing car crashes. Steering, suspension, transmission, and engine-related problems all accounted for a smaller percentage of the automobile accidents. All of these car parts, regardless of how many car accidents they may cause, are aspects that driver’s should pay extra attention to as the winter season is nearly in full swing. DMV.org suggests the following tips for getting your vehicle ready for winter driving.

How To Get Your Car Ready For Winter

Coolant: It is especially important to have the correct antifreeze/water mixture to prevent fluid from freezing in your radiator. Consult your vehicle's owner's manual for information on this mixture. Pick up a tester at an auto parts store and make sure the fluid is filled to the maximum line.

Oil: Some mechanics recommend switching to a thinner oil if you live where temperatures drop below freezing. Your best bet is to consult your owner's manual or talk to your mechanic.

Inspect or Replace Your Tires: Low air pressure and worn tires are especially dangerous on wet or slick roads, as both can reduce traction

Snow Tires: Mounting the right tires on your car or truck can give you a huge advantage when trekking through snow. Many car makers and tire manufacturers recommend changing all four tires to snow tires in the winter. If you don't swap all four, the difference between snow and summer tires can cause other problems for your vehicle.

Cold Weather & Battery Capacity: It isn't only your engine that doesn't like to start in the winter. Your battery capacity is reduced by the cold weather, too. A thorough inspection of your battery, cables, terminals, and fluid will help you make sure your car is ready for the winter.

Pack an Emergency Kit: Items to include in your winter safety kit include a flashlight, blanket, leather gloves, hat, bag of kitty litter or sand, ice scraper and brush, small shovel, safe and leak-proof container of coolant, and snacks.

This list for winterizing a car is extensive and may seem a little overwhelming, but properly maintaining your car is a part of being a car owner, and is especially important in the winter months to help avoid getting into winter weather car accidents. While no amount of preparation can guarantee your car won’t break down or that you won't be involved in a motor vehicle collision, it can help prevent things that are easily avoidable. Winterize your car, take extra precautions when driving in winter weather conditions, and be prepared for a heavy holiday traffic this winter. It may not feel like it, but winter won’t last forever, and clear, sunny driving conditions will be back soon!

Winter driving is inherently more dangerous than driving during other times of the year. With snow, sleet, and ice already complicating driving over the next few months, the last thing drivers need is an easily preventable vehicle malfunction that makes them careen into a ditch or get into a motor vehicle accident. If you get injured in a car crash this winter, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation with an experienced auto accident attorney.

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, our attention turns to Christmas. And kicking off the Christmas season usually means heading out and picking out the perfect Christmas tree. Chopping down the tree provides for some great photo ops, and decorating the tree often calls for Christmas music and hot chocolate. But the in between time - getting the tree home - is possibly the most crucial part of the process, but often doesn’t get as much attention. Transporting your Christmas tree safely is crucial not only to keep the tree in good shape, but also for keeping everyone on the road safe.

One driver learned the importance of Christmas tree travel safety the hard way. According to local news outlets, police in Massachusetts pulled over a vehicle that was transporting a mammoth sized Christmas tree. The tree was spilling over the roof of the vehicle, with the vast majority of the vehicle not even visible. In a now viral Facebook post that's been shared thousands of times, the local police department stated that “Sudbury PD would like to remind you to transport your Holiday trees responsibility.” The incident occurred on Route 20, about 25 miles west of Boston. It’s unclear if the driver actually received a citation, or just a warning.

The danger in transporting a large tree on top of a car should be obvious. A 7-feet tall Douglas Fir can drape over the windows and windshields, drastically limiting the driver’s visibility (if not obscuring it completely). The heavy weight could very likely be too much for the vehicle, slowing it down and disrupting the flow of the traffic. Should the tree come loose from the car, it could hit another vehicle on the road, or block the road, causing cars to try and swerve out of the way, likely causing an automobile accident. So, to safely transport your Christmas tree home, check out this recent blog post from The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC.

Picking out the family Christmas tree is a quintessential part of the holiday season. And while safely securing the tree to your vehicle may not be the highest priority or the most fun thing to be doing while celebrating the holiday, it is crucial. A poorly secured tree can not only damage the tree and/or your vehicle, but can endanger your life, the lives of everyone traveling in your vehicle, and other drivers on the road. This Christmas, you want to call your lawyer to convey well wishes, not to embarrassingly tell them you caused a car crash because your Christmas tree fell off your car and landed on top of another!

Car crashes are always devastating, but can be particularly damaging to the spirit during the holiday season. Call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation if you've been involved in a car accident. Our experienced attorneys will handle your legal woes while you focus on spending this joyous time with your loved ones.

Fiat-Chrysler has issued a recall on hundreds of thousands of pickup trucks. According to the Detroit Free Press, Ram trucks with a 6.7 liter engine manufactured between 2013 and 2017 are under recall due to a water pump issue that could potentially cause a fire. The recall affects owners of Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks, as well as Ram 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs. This includes 443,712 vehicles in the United States, 46,220 vehicles in Canada, and 4,485 vehicles outside of North America. Fiat-Chrysler announced the recall on September 19, 2017.

The company is not aware of any accidents or injuries caused by the water pump problem, and is issuing the recall as a precautionary measure. According to the Fiat-Chrysler press release, “certain trucks are equipped with a water-pump bearing that, after exposure to certain conditions, may overheat and potentially cause an engine-compartment fire. Compromised water-pump function may activate a warning light in an affected vehicle’s instrument cluster." Any customers with questions can call the FCA U.S. Recall Information Center at (800) 853-1403.

Recalls can conjure up images of exploding engines and malfunctioning steering wheels, but more often than not drivers shouldn’t envision the worst case scenario. While the scariest sounding incidents are usually the ones that receive the most attention, recalls are quite common, and the number of recalls issued per year is the highest it’s been in decades. Fiat Chrysler, for example has issued a number of recalls over the last year, including one for a Jeep gear shift, that was responsible for the death of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin. U.S. News and World Report found that in 2013 alone, 22 million vehicles were recalled, and that number has gone up. Most recalls, such as the Ram recall, are preemptive measures taken by the company. The majority of recalls are issued after a complaint has been filed by a driver (or many drivers), prompting an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA). A recall is then issued if they discover a problem in the manufacturing process, and the vehicle doesn’t meet federal safety standards. This sounds scary, but in reality a recall can be issued for something as small as a mislabeled sticker on a part under the hood. Some recalls are voluntary, and others are mandated by the NHTSA.

So what should you if you find yourself as the owner of a recalled vehicle? Instead of panicking, there are a number of steps you can take to in order to get your vehicle repaired and keep yourself safe from any potential recall related car accidents. Once the manufacturer has decided (or is forced) to issue a recall, they have 60 days to notify registered owners of the affected vehicles by mail. If you hear about a recall on the news (or on a law firm blog) that you think may affect your vehicle, but you never receive any correspondence from the manufacturer, you can check to see if your vehicle is affected by going to https://www.safercar.gov/ and entering the VIN number for your vehicle. If you are the owner of a used car that is under recall, according to Kelley Blue Book (KBB), you should contact the manufacturer directly and make them aware of your contact information.

With most recalls, the manufacturer has usually engineered a solution that can be repaired relatively easily. According to U.S. News and World Report, “if the car is less than 10 years old from the date of the first purchase, the automaker must correct the problem by repairing the car, replacing the car or providing a refund for the purchase price of the car minus depreciation." If the car is older than 10 years old, you will have to pay for the repairs out of pocket. If you already had the issue repaired before the recall is announced, you may be eligible for reimbursement, but manufactures are not required to do so. Any local dealer can fix the problem, and you don’t need to take the car to get serviced at the dealer you purchased it from. It can be a frustrating process, but be patient. If it is a large recall, there will likely be a lengthy waiting list for repairs. Consumer Reports notes that the only time to really panic is if the manufacturer tells you to stop driving the vehicle. Again, this is rare, and the manufacturer should tow your car to the dealership and issue you a loaner in such an event.

Drivers are right to be concerned about recalls, no matter how small they may seem. All recalls should be taken seriously, regardless of whether or not they seem like they may lead to automobile accidents and injuries. If you find your vehicle under recall, stay calm, do your research, and proceed as necessary. In most cases, such as the Ram recall, you can continue driving your vehicle without worry. The manufacturer is looking out for driver safety, and taking the necessary precautions. That being said, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Check if your vehicle is under a recall even if you don’t hear anything from the manufacturer, and take the necessary steps to correct the issue. More so, drivers can be proactive. If you think something is not as it should be with your vehicle, let the NHTSA know. Your input could be what it takes for an investigation to be launched and a recall announced.

All cars, whether under recall or not, have the potential to be involved in automobile accidents. While some events may be out of the driver's control, following traffic laws and being cautious are two things drivers can do to be proactive on the road. Even so, accidents can still happen. If you have been involved in an automobile accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

]]>Christmas Tree Transportation Safety TipsKatie StathulisFri, 08 Dec 2017 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/11/21/christmas-tree-transportation-safety-tips54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a1441bb0d9297befd5bc36bOnce Thanksgiving has come and gone, many of us set our sights on finding the perfect Christmas tree. It has to be just the right size and shape, fit in the front window perfectly, and the lights and ornaments need to be distributed just so. But whether or not you get your tree from a local lot, or head out to a farm to cut one down yourself, we all need to get those trees back to our houses somehow. While seeing cars on the highway with a Christmas tree secured on top is a quintessential sign that the holiday is approaching, it’s incredibly important to ensure that the tree is secured properly not only for the tree’s sake, but for the safety of you, your family, and other people on the road.

While there aren’t really statistics that tell us exactly how many car collisions have been caused by rogue Christmas trees falling off of the tops of cars, having any sort object come lose from a car traveling at any speed is undoubtedly dangerous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 52,000 of all automobile accidents that took place between 2005 and 2007 were due to environmental factors. Of those crashes, 50% were due to road conditions, such as debris on the road, and 11% were due to obstruction of the driver's view. A Christmas tree that is not secured properly can slide down the roof, blocking the windshield and obstructing the driver’s view. Should the tree come off the roof completely, the tree can slide down the car obstructing the driver's view, fall on to another car, or fall in the road causing drivers to swerve their vehicles to try and avoid hitting the tree, which are all outcomes that can cause a car crash. As such, Cars.com, in partnership with the National Christmas Tree Association, suggests the following tips for properly securing your Christmas tree to your vehicle.

Christmas Tree Transportation Safety Tips

Get your Christmas tree netted before leaving the lot to make it more manageable. If it's going on the roof, the trunk should be facing the front. Both will help reduce wind damage to the foliage.

Make sure to select a tree that will either fit inside your cargo area or, if you have a roof rack, on top of your roof properly. Also ensure that you have enough rope or cord to wrap around the tree and secure it to the roof rack or to cargo hooks.

Place a tarp or blanket over the cargo area to protect the interior from loose needles. If you're going to place the tree on the roof, place a tarp, plastic sheet or blanket between the tree and the rack to protect the roof from scratches.

If you are transporting a tree in the back of a pickup truck, keep in mind that there could be hot spots in the bed—from the exhaust pipe, for example. This can damage the tree's foliage, so put something under it like an old blanket.

Before leaving the lot, give the tree a good tug to make sure it's secure.

Drive slowly and avoid the highway, especially if you're not used to hauling heavy objects on your roof. They affect your vehicle's center of gravity and consequently emergency handling.

Following these tips can’t guarantee that your tree will stay put, but they can help decrease the likelihood of losing your tree in transit. Some car collisions, such as those caused by winter weather conditions, may be out of your control. However, by taking time to tightly secure your Christmas tree to your vehicle is something you can be responsible for. While automobile accidents caused by Christmas trees may sound far fetched, it’s undeniable that having such a large object come loose on the freeway would be incredibly dangerous. Taking a few extra minutes to really secure your tree will not only keep you, your family, and other drivers safer, but may also save you an embarrassing phone call to your attorney about how you were involved in an accident with the family tree.

The holidays are a joyous time of year, but hauling Christmas trees, winter weather, and holiday road trip traffic can all lead to car accidents. If you or a loved one have been involved in an automobile accident this holiday season, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation. Let our experienced accident attorneys put you at ease while you enjoy the season's festivities.

]]>Michigan Woman Dies After Car Is Struck By DeerKatie StathulisThu, 07 Dec 2017 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/11/28/michigan-woman-dies-after-car-is-struck-by-deer54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a1ddb3eec212d9bd37e06e9A Michigan woman died after her car was struck by a deer. According to the Detroit Free Press, forty-nine year old Susan Fries, of Ada Township died on the evening of November 20, 2017. Ms. Fries was not the only one involved in the deer car crash as a 23-year old driver, traveling in the opposite direction, hit the deer first. Due to this impact, the animal then flew through the air and broke through Fries’ windshield. The accident took place in Cascade Township, in western Michigan. The driver of the other vehicle was from Lowell, Michigan, and was not injured.

Fall and winter months are deer mating season, making the odds of being involved in a deer car crash much, much higher at this time of year than any other time. More specifically, according to the Detroit Free Press, mating season for deer is October through December, which can more than double a driver's chance of hitting a deer. According to data released by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (MOHSP), deer car accidents make up 13.9% of all car crashes in October and 19.1% of all car crashes in November. For the other 9 months of the year, deer car crashes only make up between 4% and 10% of all car crashes. In 2016, 42.6% of deer-related car collisions occurred between October and December. The majority (57%) of deer-related car crashes occur at nighttime on unlit roads. According to Mlive, 75% of deer-related motor vehicle accidents that occurred in 2015 happened on a country road where the posted speed limit is 55 MPH. The MOHSP also found that Oakland County had the most deer car crashes by far in the state of Michigan in 2016, with Lapeer and Jackson Counties coming in second.

Due to the large number of deer car accidents, according to Slate, white-tailed deer could be considered the deadliest animals in North America, causing about 1.25 million car accidents and resulting in 150 fatalities. There are now 30 million deer in America, nearly 100 times more than there were in the early 1900s. In Michigan alone, there are there 1.75 million deer according to Mlive!

While deer jumping out into the road causes the initial car accident, deer car accidents can be more dangerous because there can be a ripple effect. Drivers passing by often take their eyes off the road to look at the car accident, the deer, or other creatures such as vultures or coyotes who have joined the scene, causing them to become distracted from the road and potentially risk becoming involved in a car crash themselves. Lori Conarton, chairwoman of the Michigan Deer Crash Coalition, told Mlive that, “vehicle-deer crashes in Michigan are expensive, causing at least $130 million in damage annually." The Michigan State Police provide the following tips for avoiding deer motor vehicle accidents, as well as what to do should you find yourself involved in such a car crash.

Deer car crashes are unpredictable, and usually happen in a split-second, leaving little time for the driver to react. While deer car crashes are likely something that we will never be able to avoid completely, following these tips may help keep drivers safer. Drivers can’t predict when a deer car accident will happen, but by being mindful of where they are driving, how well lit the road is, and what time of year it is, drivers can be more prepared in the instance of a deer car collison.

While deer accidents may be more prevalent during fall and winter months, the truth is that car collisions can happen anytime of year. If you are involved in an automobile accident in which you have been hit by or have stuck an animal such as a deer, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation. Let us handle the legal matters while you focus on recovering from your injuries.

]]>Investigations Launched After Michigan Cop Is Not Penalized For Drunk DrivingKatie StathulisWed, 06 Dec 2017 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/11/30/investigations-launched-after-michigan-cop-is-not-penalized-for-drunk-driving54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a20d4500852299886f984cdAn off-duty Michigan police officer was caught drunk driving, and now he and the officer who stopped him are both facing repercussions.

According to the Detroit Free Press, early on November 9, 2017, at approximately 12:30 AM, an off-duty Roseville police officer was stopped for attempting to travel south in northbound traffic on Woodward Ave. The Roseville officer was pulled over by a Ferndale officer, and while the Roseville officer allegedly appeared to be drunk, he was not given a breathalyzer, nor was he ticketed or arrested. Instead, the Ferndale officer called his supervisor, and was told to drive the Roseville officer, as well as his passenger, back to the station in Ferndale. Once at the Ferndale station, a Ferndale lieutenant drove the Roseville officer and his passenger home.

Many view this as a case of special treatment-since the drunk driver was a cop, and was not breathalyzed, ticketed, or arrested. Instead, his transgressions were ignored and he was given a ride home. As a result, WXYZ Detroit reported that both Roseville and Ferndale police departments launched internal investigations into the incident on November 17, 2017. More so, the Ferndale Police Department submitted the incident to the city attorney for possible criminal charges. The Roseville officer, should he be charged, would be facing an Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) charge. The Roseville officer is currently suspended without pay, and the names of the officers involved are being withheld as the investigation is ongoing.

The Ferndale police department says that some discretion is always involved whenever a driver is pulled over, and that not all drunk drivers are ticketed or arrested. Ferndale Police Chief Collins said in a statement that, “our jobs are complex and we trust our people to use sound judgment. When somebody makes a call that is unsafe or not indicative of the department’s values and operations, we take that seriously and we act accordingly.”

The Roseville police department will be undergoing a drunk driving education program. Roseville Police Chief Berlin said in a statement, “in this day in age for anyone to drive drunk surprises me; there is a whole list of options to get home like Uber and Lyft. As a police officer you know the consequences. The lack of judgment surprised me."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2,912 people were killed by a drunk driver between 2003 and 2012 in the state of Michigan. Michigan legislature states that it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, or impaired, by alcohol, illegal drugs, and some prescribed medication, and with a bodily alcohol content of 0.08 or more.

Roseville Police Chief Berlin is right-there are plenty of alternatives to drunk driving. By using a ridesharing app like Uber or Lyft, prearranging a designated driver, using public transportation, or calling a taxi, or having any way of getting home that doesn’t involve a drunk person getting behind the wheel, is the best way to avoid getting into a drunk driving car accident. Drunk driving is never OK, and no one should be able to avoid the consequences of committing such an avoidable crime. Drunk driving is a danger to every car and person on the road.

Drunk driving can not only lead to extremely dangerous car accidents, but is also illegal. If you or a loved one have been involved in a drunk driving car crash, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal cosultation.

Roseville, Michigan car accident? We file lawsuits for those who have been injured in car accidents. See if you are eligible for pain and suffering benefits.

]]>Shoppers Should Prepare For Black Friday TrafficKatie StathulisFri, 24 Nov 2017 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/11/14/shoppers-should-prepare-for-black-friday-traffic54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a0b139be4966b7f0216021cBlack Friday. We’ve all seen the videos of massive crowds outside of a Walmart, people trampling over safety barricades at Target, and getting into fistfights over flat screen TVs at Best Buy. While consumer greed and violence are as closely associated with Black Friday as turkey is with Thanksgiving, something that often gets overlooked is Black Friday traffic. After all, those hordes of people storming the doors of the local mall had to get there somehow, right?

Thanksgiving traffic is bad all week and Black Friday is no exception. According to data collected by Google, eager shoppers actually begin their drives to malls across the country on Thanksgiving evening. Traffic starts to pick up at around 4 PM on Thursday, with the number of drives over the course of Thursday evening being 5 times higher than a normal Thursday in November. Waze, a navigation app created by Google, found similar data. Users of the Waze app saw traffic peak throughout Thursday evening, drop off slightly overnight, and pick up again early Friday afternoon. Waze reports that traffic is at it’s worst on Friday between noon and 3 PM. Similarly, Time reports that traffic between 12 AM and 2 PM on Black Friday is significantly higher than traffic on an average November day. More drivers on the road than usual, coupled with the fact that they’re anxious to get to the store quickly and could be driving in an unfamiliar area, means that car accidents can happen. Drivers need to be alert and follow the rules of the road to avoid being involved in Black Friday traffic car crashes.

So where exactly is everyone going on Friday? In general, Waze found that people are most often searching for electronics stores, outlet malls, and Christmas tree farms. Unsurprisingly, they also found that the most searched for navigation destination on Black Friday in 2015 was Walmart. The app saw an 85% increase in the number of searches for Walmart as compared to other Fridays in November. Other department stores that were frequently searched for include Costco, Kohls, Macy’s, and Target. For clothes, drivers were searching the most for Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls, Old Navy, Ross, and TJ Maxx. When it comes to home decor, drivers were most interested in finding Bed Bath and Beyond, Homegoods, Ikea, Lowes, and Home Depot. If your Black Friday plans include any of those destinations, know that the roads are going to be unavoidably congested with shoppers looking for good deals. It also means that if you wait to go Black Friday shopping until Friday afternoon, the store shelves could likely be empty when you get there.

While Thanksgiving brings bountiful feasts and plenty of leftovers, Waze also found that searches for restaurants see a drastic increase on Black Friday as well. Mcdonald’s, Chick-Fil-A, Panera Bread, In-N-Out, and Chipotle were the most searched for restaurants on Black Friday in 2015. In Detroit specifically, the most searched for term on Black Friday was “hamburgers.” If your Black Friday deal hunting makes you hungry, your best bet for hitting a restaurant is between 2 PM and 3 PM, so as to avoid lunch and dinner traffic.

A huge increase in the number of cars on the road unfortunately means there may be an increase in the number of motor vehicle accidents as well. According to Time, there are 34% more automobile accidents on Black Friday as compared to the number of accidents in the two weeks before and after. The majority of those accidents were backing or parking related, which is not surprising considering how many people are trying to get in and out of parking lots on Black Friday. On the road, drivers are likely in a hurry to get to their destination, and could be making poor driving choices as a result. While no one likes sitting in traffic (especially when a great sale is on the line) drivers should know that bad traffic is something they need to expect when it comes to Black Friday shopping.

But there is a chance that all of that could change, however, thanks of course to the internet. A report from the Chicago Tribune found that over Thanksgiving weekend in 2016, there was a significant increase in the number of people who stayed home on Black Friday, and did all of their shopping online. The National Retail Federation found that “109 million people shopped from their computers and mobile devices from Thanksgiving Day through Sunday, while about 99 million hit the sales in brick-and-mortar stores.” The year before, the numbers were more evenly split, with 103 million people shopping online and 102 million in stores. The internet has already changed much of how we live our lives, and maybe soon we will be able to thank it for saving us from Black Friday traffic.

Everyone loves a great sale and being able to knock out some holiday shopping early. And while the crowds inside the store are one thing, the crowds getting to the store are quite another. If you plan on going Black Friday shopping, traffic should be a part of that plan. Roads, especially near malls and shopping centers, are going to be congested. You probably can’t do anything to change how much traffic there will be, but you can be responsible for planning for it. Know that your drive to Target is probably going to take longer than it does on a normal day, and build that time into your schedule accordingly. When you’re on the road, don’t let your frustration with traffic and desire for a great deal on an iPad result in dangerous driving behavior. In the parking lot, check and double check that your path is clear when pulling into and backing out of parking spots, and espescially be on the lookout for pedestrians and shopping carts. There is no Black Friday sale that is worth risking your life, the lives of those you are traveling with, and the lives of other people on the road.

Don't let your desire for a good sale get the best of you this Black Friday. With so many drivers on the road, traffic will be bad and car collisions can happen. If you or a loved one are injured in an automobile accident this Black Friday, or any other day of the year, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.

]]>Drivers Should Be Prepared for Heavy Thanksgiving TrafficKatie StathulisThu, 23 Nov 2017 14:10:00 +0000https://www.themichiganlawfirm.com/blog/2017/11/7/drivers-should-be-prepared-for-heavy-thanksgiving-traffic54aaaf93e4b03ccd2a118e0d:54cd3153e4b0247684e42b8a:5a01e34d8165f514abcd878aThanksgiving is here, and for many of us, that means overeating, watching football, and leftover turkey sandwiches for weeks. It also means that many of us will be piling in the car and hitting the highway in order to do so. Thanksgiving, and the days surrounding it, are some of the busiest travel days of the year, with millions of Americans traveling to see loved ones.

Thanksgiving weekend is generally considered to include Wednesday evening, and all day Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with some resources including Tuesday afternoon as well. According to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), the number of long distance trips during this time period increases by 54% as compared to the average number of long distance trips the rest of the year. While TV news reports are often focused on long airport security lines and flight delays, USDOT reports that 91% of long distance holiday travel is by vehicle. They also note that the average long distance Thanksgiving trip is 214 miles, with about half of all travelers completing their trip within the same day, and not spending any nights away. Over Thanksgiving weekend, 53% of long distance trips are to visit friends and family, whereas this only accounts for about 24% of long distance trips during the rest of the year.

According to Travel and Leisure, an estimated 41,900,000 people piled into their cars over Thanksgiving weekend in 2015. With that many people on the road, traffic is going to bad. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Saturday after are when the roads are at their worst, but roads are more congested than usual for the whole weekend. Time reports that roads start seeing an increase in traffic at about 1:00 PM on Tuesday, with gridlock setting in from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Heavy traffic returns on Wednesday morning at around 11:00 AM, and stays that way all day, with 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM being the worst of it. When coming home after the holiday, traffic is up to 60% worse on Saturday than it is on Sunday. If you’re able to complete your trip in one day, Thursday is the day to do it. Traffic on Thanksgiving day mimics weekend traffic patterns, meaning if you leave in the morning or evening (avoiding mid-day) you shouldn’t see too much slow down.

Detroiters should be warned that they likely won’t be able to avoid traffic this Thanksgiving, as Northbound US 23 and Northbound I-75 Merge in Detroit rank #9 on ABC News’ list of America’s Top 10 Most Congested Roads. They say that “this stretch of road near Flint, Mich., attracts people fleeing to the beautiful northern Michigan forests for turkey and fun. Cabin owners, resort seekers and deer hunters flock north from Detroit, Indiana, Ohio and even Chicago.”

Unsurprisingly, data giant Google has been collecting information via their Maps app about our Thanksgiving travel habits. Google reports that “ham shop”, “pie shop”, and “liquor shop” are the most searched for terms on Maps on Wednesday, as people do last minute cooking or need to pick up a hostess gift. Likely a result of cooking mishaps in years past, “buffet restaurants” are what’s most searched for the most on Thanksgiving day. On Black Friday, Americans are searching for “electronics store”, “outlet mall”, and “Christmas tree farm” the most. In Detroit, however, the most searched for item on Black Friday is “hamburgers”.

So many people traveling over a certain time period unfortunately means that accidents are going to happen. According to the National Safety Council, there were 391 traffic fatalities during the Thanksgiving period in 2016. This accounted for 12.84% of all traffic deaths during November of 2016. That number is up from 301 deaths over the same time period in 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA notes that 50% of the people who died in automobile accidents over Thanksgiving in 2015 were not wearing seat belts. National Safety Council has the following tips for how drivers can be safe and prepared when traveling over the holiday.

While following these tips can’t guarantee you won’t be in any accidents this Thanksgiving, it could help reduce the likelihood. Heavy traffic doesn’t mean you shouldn’t travel over the holiday, but it does mean you should be prepared and know how it will affect your travel plans. Check traffic and weather before you leave, and know that your route will likely take longer than it does on a normal day. Try and stay calm when you’re stuck in traffic, and know that everyone else is likely just as frustrated as you are. And of course, making good choices like wearing a seat belt and not getting behind the wheel while drunk are behaviors that should be practiced year round.

While Thanksgiving leads to hugely heavy traffic, car collisions happen anytime of year. If you or a loved one have been involved in an automobile accident, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free legal consultation.